There’s so much pressure on men to maintain this façade of strength and stoicism, which makes it difficult for us to express our emotions and share our struggles. Men get told to “man up”, or they’re accused of “playing the victim” if they talk about their pain. The double standard is clear—feminism preaches equality, but when men express pain, it seems like it’s not welcomed. Instead of getting support, we are told to suck it up or that our issues don’t matter as much as others. Trauma doesn’t discriminate, and the last thing men need is to be silenced or shamed for talking about it. It’s frustrating to see how feminists are so quick to dismiss male vulnerability. Feminists tell men like me, who grew up in a children’s home with no love or support, that we aren’t entitled to basic respect or love. We’re told to just “get over it” and “be a man.” Why is it that feminists, who claim to fight for equality, seem to think it’s okay to silence men’s emotional struggles? We’re told we shouldn’t feel hurt or vulnerable because it doesn’t fit the image of what a “real man” is supposed to be. But what happened to empathy, understanding, and the basic human right to feel and express emotions? Telling men to just “be a man” and bottle everything up isn’t strength—it’s oppression.
