Luciano

What does “being a man” mean to you?

Even after coming into feminism, I still automatically think of “toughen up” and don’t show emotions, and don’t accept any emotions that are not anger.

Even after acknowledging how toxic that is, it’s been imprinted in my mind.

I’ve asked a whole room of people what they think feminism is, and everyone had a different answer.

To me, it is the struggle to acknowledge that the patriarchy is real and we’re living in a world where a lot of people are born into it with a lot of bias against them.

I’m trying to understand my privileges as a white, cis male.

I’m in a process of understanding how I benefit, and am especially trying to figure out when I’m not aware of benefiting from it.

It’s easy to see that I’m not discriminated against as much as people from, say, the Middle East, but the secure privileges that are afforded to me, I’m trying to spot.

I’m shocked when I realize, oh shit, this happens to me or doesn’t happen to me because I’m a white man.