(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Joe Biden is a Strong Man Without Any Toxic Masculinity: Boosting Biden Day 115 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-17 “By far the worst thing we do to males — by making them feel they have to be hard — is that we leave them with very fragile egos.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author Toxic masculinity involves raising boys to believe that they have to be tough all the time and that any other behavior is “feminine” or weak and should be mocked and avoided. It leads men to feel like they need to always: Suppress emotions and mask distress Maintain an appearance of hardness embrace violence as an indicator of power devalue women aspire to dominance in every situation. That has never been Biden’s M.O.. Instead, Biden models a healthy masculinity. Here is Biden on Mask wearing “Now, what is this macho thing: ‘I’m not going to wear a mask’?” Biden said during a town hall meeting last week, held just after Trump was released from the hospital. “Big deal. Does it hurt you? Be patriotic, for God’s sake. Take care of yourself, but take care of your neighbors.” Jackson Katz, creator of a forthcoming documentary called “The Man Card: Presidential Masculinity from Nixon to Trump” argues that “What Biden is offering is a more complex 21st-century version of masculinity. It’s compassion and empathy and care and a personal narrative of loss.” Biden isn’t afraid of his feelings or other people’s feelings One of Biden's political calling cards is an expression of empathy with voters, and unlike Trump, he is not afraid to show vulnerability in public. He often tears up as he speaks of his son, Beau, who died in 2015. He talks of his childhood stutter and how he worked to overcome it. He has spoken in the past of contemplating suicide after family tragedy. He refers to the grief he felt when his first wife and daughter died in a car crash. This isn’t to say that Biden always eschews traditional markers of masculinity — he made comments about wishing he could punch Trump at an anti-sexual-assault rally in 2018. But Biden doesn’t see masculinity as excluding compassion and affection and kindness. Why should it matter if the president eschews toxic masculinity? Toxic masculinity is bad for everyone. Research suggests it leads to violence against women. It also leads to fighting more with other men and even does harm to the self — men who are high in toxic masculinity are more likely to be suicidal and more likely to be depressed. They are more likely to drink excessively and drive dangerously. Not only do we not want a president that behaves in those ways, but we also don’t want a role model for our country that encourages toxic masculinity. Instead, we want (and deserve) a role model who encourages all people (male and female) to be both strong and vulnerable. Joe Biden does just that. Joe Biden is a great president. Is there still more work to be done? 100%! Lots more work. But Biden did more than many people guessed could be done. He deserves a lot of credit. AND he deserves to be re-elected. What can you do to help? Your donation will come bundled with others from our Good News community and will show Biden that there are many of us who support him and combine hard work with optimism in our battles for a better America! Want to do something else? Rec and comment on these posts to keep them alive at DKos and share them with others who might not realize how great a president Joe Biden has been. Looking for something else? Here are some other ideas: This is an entry in my ongoing series Boosting Biden. Check the comments for more information on how to find other entries and subscribe. These posts are written by Goodnewsroundup (Goodie), edited by Matilda Briggs, and supported by 2thanks and WolverineForTJatAW as well as several other notable Kossacks! As with all good things, it takes a village. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/17/2244479/-Joe-Biden-is-a-Strong-Man-Without-Any-Toxic-Masculinity-Boosting-Biden-Day-115?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=community_groups_Good+News&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/