this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2025
31 points (87.8% liked)

Men's Liberation

2223 readers
1 users here now

This community is first and foremost a feminist community for men and masc people, but it is also a place to talk about men’s issues with a particular focus on intersectionality.


Rules

Everybody is welcome, but this is primarily a space for men and masc people


Non-masculine perspectives are incredibly important in making sure that the lived experiences of others are present in discussions on masculinity, but please remember that this is a space to discuss issues pertaining to men and masc individuals. Be kind, open-minded, and take care that you aren't talking over men expressing their own lived experiences.



Be productive


Be proactive in forming a productive discussion. Constructive criticism of our community is fine, but if you mainly criticize feminism or other people's efforts to solve gender issues, your post/comment will be removed.

Keep the following guidelines in mind when posting:

  • Build upon the OP
  • Discuss concepts rather than semantics
  • No low effort comments
  • No personal attacks


Assume good faith


Do not call other submitters' personal experiences into question.



No bigotry


Slurs, hate speech, and negative stereotyping towards marginalized groups will not be tolerated.



No brigading


Do not participate if you have been linked to this discussion from elsewhere. Similarly, links to elsewhere on the threadiverse must promote constructive discussion of men’s issues.



Recommended Reading

Related Communities

!feminism@beehaw.org
!askmen@lemmy.world
!mensmentalhealth@lemmy.world


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

If we are calling out ‘toxic masculinity’ as a society, then why do public responses to softer versions of masculinity shift between curiosity, irony and judgment?

Intro:

Across TikTok and university campuses, young men are rewriting what masculinity looks like today, sometimes with matcha lattes, Labubus, film cameras and thrifted tote bags.

At Toronto Metropolitan University, a “performative male” contest recently drew a sizeable crowd by poking fun at this new TikTok archetype of masculinity. The “performative man” is a new Gen Z term describing young men who deliberately craft a soft, sensitive, emotionally aware aesthetic, signalling the rejection of “toxic masculinity.”

At “performative male” contests, participants compete for laughs and for women’s attention by reciting poetry, showing off thrifted fashion or handing out feminine hygiene products to show they’re one of the “good” guys.

Similar events have been held from San Francisco to London, capturing a wider shift in how Gen Z navigates gender. Research shows that young men are experimenting with gender online, but audiences often respond with humour or skepticism.

This raises an important question: in a moment when “toxic masculinity” is being called out, why do public responses to softer versions of masculinity shift between curiosity, irony and judgment?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] otters_raft@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I think there may be a misunderstanding, or multiple interpretations, of what 'toxic masculinity' refers to.

In the contexts where I've heard it, the term wasn't being used to say that masculinity is toxic /that it should look a certain way / that this is something that's up to men to change. Rather, it refers to the subset of toxic behaviour that is associated with 'masculinity', as a way of organizing discussion. The term isn't meant to ignore or minimize other types of toxic behaviour, it's there when referring to any patterns or solutions that might be in common for that subset of toxicity.

For example, the term "men's mental health" organizes discussion around mental health challenges that men deal with. It doesn't mean that only men deal with mental health issues, nor does it mean that men's mental health issues are more important to deal with than those of other groups.

If society truly wants progress, we should stop policing how masculinity looks and start holding all people accountable for toxic actions, not their gender.

Isn't the first part exactly what 'toxic masculinity' discussions are about, that rigid and harmful gender expectations harm everyone, regardless of where it comes from (men or otherwise)?

As for the second part, I don't think anyone is saying otherwise. We SHOULD hold everyone accountable for toxic actions.

[–] Nomorereddit@lemmy.today 2 points 4 days ago

Attention capture tactics push toxic masculinity a lot more than, toxicity is my point.

But good back and forth.