Feminism

Emotions, aka feelings, are felt by everybody. They are specific reactions to an event or as a response to something that happens and are usually experienced as fear, hate, love, happiness, or envy. But they are normal. Completely and utterly normal.

Yet for some reason, men are told to shut theirs down. They should be strong, brave, and masculine at every point in their lives because boys don’t cry or get mushy when they’re in love. If they show any semblance of emotion such as crying… well God, forgive them because now they must be gay or weak.

Even the former president of the United States of America was mocked for crying while discussing gun violence. He shed a few tears without even sobbing and being inconsolable, only showing that it made him sad and many people, even people I know and trusted that called themselves feminists, said he must be weak or that we shouldn’t have a president who cries over things like that. I would expect people who are sexist or old men raised a certain way to find it odd he would cry and I wouldn’t agree but I could expect it, but the fact that people who want equality would condemn his feelings and say he shouldn’t be a leader is mind-boggling.

First of all, he was still a good president who kept us out of nuclear war and didn’t commit genocide, but I would firmly say that it’s a good thing he is shedding a few tears over the gun violence that is rampant in his country. It shows that he cares about the people and isn’t a political robot!

Secondly, you can’t call yourself a feminist and mock men for crying. Feminism promotes equality and that is what is all about. You can’t have equality if you refuse men the right to cry just the same as you can. A woman isn’t expected to never cry and it’s okay if someone doesn’t want to cry but they cannot in any way be mocked or looked down on because they showed human emotions.

Feminism isn’t limited to just women. It strives for equality for all. That means that if the little boy down the road wants to wear a dress and play tea party with little girls, you shouldn’t mock him and call him gay or a ladyboy for that. The man who is crying over losing his job shouldn’t be ignored or mocked because he is only being human. In the same way women are trying to end stereotypes such as only men can be leaders or CEO and only little boys can play with G. I. Joes and nerf guns, men also need to be allowed to break stereotypes about not being able to wear makeup or a skirt or cry for that matter.

While it’s true that men and women experience and process emotions differently and any person, given the right situation, variables, and past experiences, might process an emotion differently, they still do experience emotion and that is the groundwork of being human. We all experience fear and sadness. The only difference is some of us can get through it and others freeze up. We simply need to realize that it’s okay for a man to cry and it's completely normal, especially when considering the sheer among of things in the world that are sad.

Not allowing men to express their feelings is not only unfair but also bad for them. Feelings and emotions aren’t meant to be bottled up and forgotten about, yet when you tell men and little boys that they can’t express them, you’re not helping them at all even if you think you’re helping them be more manly.