Boys get a lot of messages about masculinity and how to be men. Unfortunately, they often sound like this: “You act like a girl.” “Take it like a man.” “Don’t be a beta.” “Grow some balls” “Never let them see you cry.” Masculinity is often defined by dominance, stoicism, physical strength, and the ability to provide. It has, perhaps, been even more defined by what it is not: soft, sensitive, emotional, feminine, or “queer” in any way. For many men and boys, there is ...
