Many Ways to Be a Girl, but One Way to Be a Boy: The New Gender Rules

This article by Claire Cain Miller talks about gender expression and how it’s socially acceptable for girls to act or dress like a boy– maybe even encouraged. But it is not okay if you’re a boy who acts or dresses like a girl. Girls are often encouraged to obtain “man traits” like being independent and strong. But when a boy has some “woman traits” like being emotional or vulnerable, he’s told to “man up” and not act “gay”. 

I’ve always found this interesting because society finds traits that are associated with manliness to be desired and traits associated with womanliness to be weak. But men being put down and ostracized for showing their emotions or “acting like a girl” is what causes men to resist seeking both mental and physical help when they need it. This contributes to men’s suicide rates being 2-18 times higher than women, varying by age.