It is fascinating that ideas of male liberation were being discussed more than a hundred years exactly before Next Gen Men began. It encouraged me to dig deeper from the history that I already knew about male movements.
Read MoreWe all think we know what testosterone is, but where is the line between fact and fiction? Well, it’s complicated. Testosterone has become more than just a hormone — it’s also a commodity and a symbol. How did one hormone become so intertwined with what masculinity is supposed to mean?
To find out, let’s take a deep dive decline into the three sides of testosterone.
Read MoreMen’s involvement in feminism pre-dates our Next Gen Men community by more than a hundred years. From the UK to the US, as early as the mid-1800s, there were men who supported women’s right to vote.
Men’s support for women’s suffrage was certainly slow and sparse to start — and indeed many men found the idea laughable — but it grew steadily toward the turn of the century.
Read MoreSince we’re writing the Status of Boys Report (thanks to the Next Gen Menbers’ support!) we’ve been working hard to understand and unpack the intertwining relationship between adolescents, online trends and masculinity that young boys are navigating every day. All these topics have us reflecting on our very own online Summer Camp we hosted online to connect with the boys we would have normally seen in person. Read all the lessons, Jonathon Reed, Next Gen Men’s Youth Manager, learned while navigating our first version of what is now our free Boys Club hosted on Discord.
Read MoreA man can be as feminine he wants, and still be a ‘strong’ man: Femininity will never make a man weak. So to any comments like ‘be a man,’ ‘toughen up,’ or ‘dress like you’re supposed to’…I say, I shall not! I shall dance, filled with joy. And that does not make me any less of a man.
Read MoreSometimes, especially on social media, folks wan to simplify the world by creating false dichotomies (i.e. you’re either feminist OR sexist) that cover up the complex ways that people encounter and perpetrate oppression both as individuals and within systems. The reality is typically more complicated.
Read MoreIn the years since #MeToo, I’ve seen a question increasingly materializing among the best schools: how do we sustain positive change? If you’re reading this, you probably know why schools should be talking about positive masculinity. You might already be starting to put this into practice. So let’s talk about what’s next.
Read MoreIn some ways, the program itself is the easy part. The hard part is getting a troop of boys and young men to show up in the first place. At Next Gen Men, we’ve been engaging boys and young men in gender equality for a long time, so we’re here to share some insights we’ve gained along the way.
Read MoreWhen it comes to school performance, behaviour, and social skills, children with involved dads perform better than those without. In many ways, by being affectionate, open, caring, nurturing and present, you are giving your children a head start to have healthy minds, hearts, and relationships.
Read MoreScrambling to find the perfect gift for the fathers in your life? We’ve all been there, but don’t worry! We rounded up the best gifts that will inspire him while supporting great causes.
Read MoreThe gender binary isn’t part of every culture. For those that it is a part of, while it’s a powerful part of the culture, it’s not a stable part.
Many people have challenged and subverted, resisted, and deconstructed the gender binary in various ways across time and contexts.
In particular, there are queer folks, queer theorists, and feminists who have raised many important questions about the gender binary—giving us new ways to understand this concept.
Read More“Is it a boy or a girl?”
It’s one of the first questions expecting parents are asked—and remains one of the clearest examples of how, even before we’re born, gender is considered a defining feature of our identity. But is there more to being either a boy or girl?
What exists beyond the gender binary? The short answer is a lot.
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