Fragile Masculinity: What it Is and Why It Matters
We can all be oversensitive about our gender and its issues.
There’s a sweatshirt that I’ve fallen in love with that says, “I’m too clumsy to be around fragile masculinity”.
It’s funny to me because (a) I’m clumsy, known to fall both up and downstairs at the drop of a hat, and (b) fragile masculinity is this thing that I confront on a regular basis as a writer, outspoken feminist, and participant in the #MeToo movement. Clearly, this is a sweatshirt that should be hanging in my wardrobe.
But fragile masculinity itself is far from funny. In fact, it’s part of the toxic masculinity that perpetuates rape culture and misogyny. But it’s a very real thing, and if you’ve been accused of having it, consider this an opportunity to address it.
Identifying Symptoms
So what are the symptoms of fragile masculinity? They are quite easy to identify. When confronted with an issue related to gender or social progress, fragile masculinity tends to manifest in one or more of the following ways:
- The declaration of “not all men”
- The assertion of “men, too”
- A feeling of offense on behalf of oneself or all men
