There is No Such Thing as Toxic Masculinity, Only Toxic Behavior
Stereotyping based on gender separates and limits personal responsibility.
By Irma Bryant
Abuser. Misogynist. Thug. Criminal.
Welcome to the world of dysfunctional manhood.
Society’s template classifies the male identity as totally opposite to the feminine identity. Women are soft, delicate, sensitive, and caring; men are hard, aggressive, insensitive, and cruel. We are to believe — and assume — that there are no similarities between the two genders, and any attempt to compare is ludicrous, for the contrasts are distinct and easily definable — the strength and furor of a man are evident. The media and society are adept at taking random or deliberate instances of behavioral maladies and uses them to generalize men as monsters, catcalling bastards who would steal candy from a baby and his mother’s purse, if circumstances warranted it, and even if it did not. The perceived grievance is not without merit, and some who live selfishly take more than they give to the world and tarnish the ‘masculine brand’. We are aware of the men who capitalize on their physical stamina through acts that are unconscionable; however, we also recognize that this ‘toxic masculinity’ — the trending terminology used to describe men whose…
