Defining Masculinity

 

From: Phillip 

Masculinity has taken many different shapes and forms, others may share my belief such as how; often words carry the same meaning, but I think what defines said word can be open to interpretation. Not to preach or say words should loose meaning. Sure, we all have a broad idea, concept, or belief of what should be the definition of our “word” in question. Hang with me on this, I do have a point to all this. Being a tough guy is something I never thought I’d be contemplating but at certain points in my life I’d overhear others say that you must withhold certain feelings or traits, be cold, be assertive, and for the most part I ignored it. 

Through meeting people at AACC, partaking in different clubs, it’s helped me meet a variety of individuals. I’ve been fortunate enough to befriend and meet all kinds of people. Take the two people in this photo for example.

Looking at this photo gives me a mixture of feelings, though I find it perfectly meshing with my definition of masculinity. I must be aware it may be contradictory to some people’s per-view. Of course, all you can do is take my word but while one may fit the more stereotypical “masculine role” the friendship I’ve shared with them has punctured my previous interpretation/belief of what/who can define masculinity. 

It's not limited to a specific BMI or the type of clothing you wear, or what emotions you allow or don’t allow yourself to express. While I won’t define my interpretation of masculinity, I encourage you to test your beliefs by not limiting masculinity to a specific gender or sex.