MEN EMBRACE FEMININITY

It’s hard for men to act on their feminine side, especially when the very roots of our society promote the idea that men must always be emotionally guarded and assertive. In recent years however, it appears that the trend of men embracing femininity is starting to grow.

Why is it so hard for men to embrace their feminine side anyway?

Georgia Southern assistant professor Baker Rogers, who specializes in the field of gender, sexuality and religious studies in the South, gave some insight.

They explained that it is often stigmatized for men to be feminine because femininity in general is seen as less valuable, so men/male-identifying people presenting in feminine ways is seen as degrading oneself.

Historically speaking, you can find many examples of this being the case. Toy marketing in the ‘80s showed how these companies viewed how males should be versus females. Boys were targeted for toys such as Gi-Joe, while females were given the riveting adventures of the perfect accessorizable doll, Barbie.

Even as a child, boys and girls are marketed to act certain ways that society deems to them as acceptable. For men, masculinity is often considered a necessity in behavior, where they associate being “real men” with the idea of ‘taking charge’, ‘being authoritative’, ‘taking risks’, etc.

Rogers further explained, saying, “femininity will continue to be celebrated in women, because they are seen as the lesser gender, while it will continue to be stigmatized in men because they are seen as giving up their ‘rightful’ dominance in an unequal binary gender system.”

Hoewever, according to NPD’s iGen Beauty Consumer report, nearly 40% of adults aged 18 to 22 show an interest in gender-neutral beauty products. Celebrities, like Jay-Z and Lil Uzi Vert, have also been spotted wearing skirts or blouses, embracing typically ‘feminine’ fashion.

Some students at Georgia Southern have also embraced their femininity through accessories. Joshua Jones, a junior at GS, is known for wearing a small chain of pearls around his neck and wrist everyday.

“Everything I wear is something I want to wear,” Jones said.

“There are a lot of stereotypically feminine things that simply look cool, and I feel comfortable enough in my masculinity to enjoy those things, while at the same time behaving in a ‘manly’ way.”

As society evolves, so does what becomes acceptable. Challenging past social norms and culture surrounding masculinity versus femininity will continue to open up needed diologue on topics such as toxic masculinity and gender inequality.

“I THINK TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO EMBRACE FEMININITY, AND AS A MAN YEAH, IT CAN BE SCARY AT TIMES, POSSIBLY A BIT DANGEROUS, BUT IT’S ALSO FREEING IN A WAY I CAN’T EXPLAIN.”