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The Reaction To Twitter Movement About Masculinity Is Exactly Why It’s So Important

#MasculinitySoFragile

Headshot of Taylor Pittman
Taylor Pittman Staff Writer for Voices, The Huffington Post
Posted: 09/23/2015 05:21 PM EDT
A new hashtag has started a discussion about the social norms surrounding what it means to be masculine.
The hashtag #MasculinitySoFragile trended on Twitter Sept. 23 as users in the U.S. and around the globe shared their views on how society defines masculinity -- and the damaging side effects that come with those stereotypes. Though society has become more aware and critical of the impact of male privilege, ways for men to prove their masculinity with specific labels, products and behaviors persist -- often with mental, emotional and physical consequences for men and women alike.

#MasculinitySoFragile we need a "male version" of things that do the same job as the "female version" like razorblades, lip balm, stationery

Some who interpreted the hashtag as demeaning towards men responded with the hashtag #FemininitySoFragile, though it has not gained as much momentum. One opponent claimed that feminists "bashed masculine men" using the initial hashtag, while another tweeted that those using the hashtag were explaining "how to be a man."
Many Twitter users supporting the hashtag #MasculinitySoFragile clarified they were participating in the discussion to highlight how toxic societal notions of masculinity can be, not to be harmful toward men.

For clarity: #MasculinitySoFragile is not making fun of men. It is making fun of the ridiculous ways people define what is "manly."

Here's what other Twitter users had to say about #MasculinitySoFragile:

#MasculinitySoFragile ppl who order at sonic tell me to make sure their male child gets a boys toy in their kids meal bc it matters

#MasculinitySoFragile that, in a guy's world, the fact that I have pink hair means I must be gay or something #smh

#MasculinitySoFragile sleeping around as a woman is slutty, sleeping around as a man is worthy of a high five

During engineering graduation mt granddad said engineering had become so easy because there were so many girls there 😞 #MasculinitySoFragile

#MasculinitySoFragile that everyone misses the point of the hashtag and MRA's are calling anyone who uses it a "feminazi"...

every negative response to #MasculinitySoFragile by a man have been great examples of how masculinity is fragile.

Also on HuffPost:
9 Ways Parents Can Combat Gender Stereotypes
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Take Gender Out Of Your Language
Try to focus less on gender differences in general, Brown said. One way is to remove gendered speech from your language as much as you can. Constantly referring to people by their sex or gender labels it to children as something that matters very much, she said, and therefore tells them that it's an important part of who they are -- perhaps more important than factors like their personality or strengths. “I try to just make it not something that really comes up much,” she advised.
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