Fantastic summation of the dangers to all from toxic masculinity. As a woman and feminist that lived/worked in a lot of non blue states in a very blue collar manufacturing industry while I was “management,” I have found myself having this discussion more than once. Trying to explain how me thinking women should have equal rights is also good for men could be a struggle. The idea that getting rid of defining women by their beauty and sexual desirability to men also means not defining men as paychecks sometimes worked as many of the men I was talking with resented feeling like money and how much they made (or didn’t) was their only worth. But, other times, the conversations did not go so well and once or twice I wondered if I was going to be physically assaulted.

I believe in debate, conversation and the free exchange of ideas. If we don’t talk to others, how will we ever understand their viewpoint or work with them? You definitely can’t negotiate if both parties aren’t sitting at the table.

What I’ve been struggling with for a while is if how I view the world fundamentally threatens the underpinnings of how someone else views the world, can we even have a dialogue? If stating my opinion is responded to with threats (physical and otherwise), what’s the appropriate response to that? Other than getting myself somewhere safe.