While sexism negatively affects women, Laci Green is here to remind us that everyone is impacted by gender inequality.
Green, a sex-positive video blogger and peer sex educator, breaks down how sexism affects men and young boys in her video "Does Sexism Hurt Men?" Her answer? Damn straight it does.
“Obviously, the fact that women and girls face inequalities is reason enough to stand up against sexism," Green says. "But let’s not forget that sexism also affects men and boys."
Sexist conditioning tells men that the worst thing they can be is "like a woman" -- meaning being emotional, vulnerable or generally feminine. While none of these stereotypical gendered traits are actually bad (and don't ring true for all women), our culture pressures men to be the complete opposite, which can be just as hard as subscribing to the standards women face.
As Green says in the clip, boys are told from a young age that they can't be emotional, they should be into sports and have "manly hobbies," some of which include having lots of (heterosexual) sex to prove their manhood. While women are traditionally taught to stay at home as caregivers, men are told they need to be the sole breadwinners and leaders in their households. That's a lot of pressure for everyone.
Sexism perpetuates “one version of masculinity, one way of being a real man that we impose on boys in a million subtle ways all throughout their lives and the effects of that are serious," Green says. She also points out that out sexism affects gay men, lesbian women, trans* people and "everyone in between."
“Understanding how these inequalities and attitudes permeate our society, and working to correct them, is in the best interest of everyone.” *Mic drop*
Head over to Green's YouTube channel Sex+ for more information on sex-positive education.
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