by Ursula Muñoz Schaefer/ Staff Writer
Toxic masculinity is real you guys. It’s strong on on our campus and getting ready to stomp its way towards you on Valentine’s Day!
Strong start, I know, but this isn’t a feminist rant (I save those for Facebook).
Toxic masculinity affects men to the same extent that it affects women and come holidays like St. Valentine’s, it creates ugly double standards that men must subject to.
We girls get each other gifts on Valentine’s Day.
No, it’s not just to make the single one in the group feel better, nor is it a weird, twisted excuse for the Queen Bee to receive perquisites from her minions (I don’t know what kind of high school movies you guys were into, but I had to clear both stereotypes up just in case).
Girlfriends get each other gifts because we value one another. And despite the clichés we see in the media, we decide to show it whenever we get the excuse to—Christmas, Valentine’s Day… you name it.
Guys don’t. I don’t know why it never really dawned on me until I was in middle school and one of my friends said he had enough money to get five girls candy grams but could only think of four who he was close to.
I suggested he get his best guy friend one, and he thought it was super weird.
It’s a double standard.
Why must men pretend to be more macho than they really are? You weren’t even friends with five girls, Steve (that wasn’t his real name).
It sounds like such a non-issue, but thinking like this breeds repression and insecurity that only grows stronger with age.
I’ve met many a male student at FIU who expresses disgust at living with a gay roommate, or says he stopped watching his favorite show because of the inclusion of a gay character.
You’ll ask them about it and they’ll say that they have nothing against it but hate seeing it, and squirm at the question as if they were insecure of the very masculinity that they swear is invulnerable.
It’s not like you must get your bro chocolate on Valentine’s Day, but the clear aversion some of you express when this is even suggested is something to think about.
So on Feb. 14, if your buddy is feeling lonely because his girlfriend just left him, give him a hug and maybe some Smarties. Tell him how much he means to you.
It won’t shoo the girls away. We actually think it’s cute.
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