I can’t believe I’m actually writing something negative about college only three days into my second attempt at college but, I guess there’s odder things to believe. This is going to sound like just another lazy college student moaning and groaning to some but, to others I hope to understand what I’m getting at.
So I started this semester off this past Tuesday with a total of five classes: Writing Comp. 101, Algebra 035, Public Speaking, Intro to Visual Art and Art History, and Intro to Mass Media and Communications. I planned to be out in two years and transfer to a four-year university to continue my studies so I needed to take five classes per semester; I was going to be very busy…or so I thought. I quickly dropped my Math class because, and I do admit this is my fault, I cannot mentally sit through a two-hour math class without wanting to go berserk and I’ve already completed a Basic Algebra class last Fall at William Paterson. Today I decided to drop my Intro to Visual Art and Art History because it’s not a class I have any form of interest in and just would do horribly in. Now after reading that I know I defiantly sound like a total underachiever but bare with me here.
If you go to any University/College you’ll always be made to take these “core” classes along with other required classes just because they say so really. I’ve never understood why I need to take classes under “Natural Science” or “Mathematics” when what I plan to major in, journalism, has nothing to do with either. The same has to be said for my time at William Paterson, I mean they put me in “Gender Lives and Studies” and the only writing related class I could really take was a basic Writing Composition class. I will never understand why I’m made to take classes that will not benefit me or my major even on the smallest sense; on top of it all, I doubt that once I walk out the door of any class I deem as “useless”, I won’t remember a thing past the times I need to be there and when I leave. Shouldn’t any College help me pursue my future and major instead of charging me an arm, leg, and first not even born yet child to take classes I don’t need?
Sigh…I think I’ve ranted enough. Now if you don’t mind me I need to go hunt for a class or two to fill my schedule back up a little.
We can be very disagreeable at times. Co-workers, friends, family and neighbors,we have all found ourselves at some point being disagreeable with one another. Heaven
knows anyone who has ever been married knows that. “Where ya going? Don’t go THERE, go HERE”. “Why are you driving THAT direction? Go THIS way”. “Why ya say TOMATO?, say
‘TO-MAH-TO.'” “My way or the highway.”
We’re disagreeable. Over time we hope that we can come to a consensus and find a happy medium or at least we hope that we can agree to disagree and keep on striding
forward. Or we simply sleep on the couch and say to hell with it.
As to ‘why’ are we so disagreeable… Since I know that I certainly can be disagreeable and since everything starts with self, I agreed with myself to give it some thought. As a man I am a result of my thoughts, my actions, my environment, decisions I’ve made,
the agreements that I’ve made with myself and the effects of those agreements. As a society we are as well, a product of our agreements. This morning somebody somewhere
decided that his pants should sag down below his buttocks and that this makes a good fashion statement and another one agreed and did the same.
Unfortunately, a person need not know from where a concept or idea originated to agree with it. For most of us all we need is to see it or hear it for us to agree with it and do it.
Where a concept or action comes from has influence on us who agree and follow that concept. So the root of an idea should be considered before we would agree. The root
idea of the above mentioned “fashion statement” of sagging pants originated in the prison culture where belts are confiscated upon arrival. We can clearly see by the condition of much our society that our collective belts of rational, clear thinking and individual ideas have been confiscated and we have agreed to let our mental and
moral pants sag all the way down under our asses.
The nasty origin from which the ideas we’ve agreed with is starting to show. Its time to make a new agreement with ourselves. What would happen if we agree to relearn
what love is and agree to love, and then agree to love even bigger on a broader scale and in deeper ways? What would happen if through our example another would agree and do the same? Over time the creative force of our collective mind can evolve a ‘new truth’ and a new reality. People who have heard of the 20th century artist Pablo Picasso
usually agree that his works of art are great. Maybe so. But when we study the pathology of how we come to such a consensus or agreement we’d find that somebody had an
opinion, someone else agreed, folklore grew around the artist and his work and as a result its generally excepted without question that such a subjective thing as Mr
Picasso’s art qualify as great, and they may very well be. But the question is from where does your agreement come? Those who don’t join in the chorus are dismissed as ‘uncultured’. What have we agreed to do with those who don’t follow the herd? Its time for a new agreement.
We have agreed as a society that small paper notes with numbers on them actually have value, now we literally spend our blood sweat and tears to attain these notes , we fight and kill each other over this. These notes stand as a daily reminder of the power of our collective minds when we agree. If you have
more of these notes the perception that others have of you changes whether you are of high moral standings or not. What if we made a new agreement about what is valuable? What if we valued a service and in turn received a service? A lesson for lesson? How would that affect our society? If I saw the beauty and benefit in something that comes
from your creative mind and soulful product how would that improve on what we value and how we value each other? How long would blood for oil wars last if a nation strive to develop its potential to have something to trade with oil rich nations? And oil rich nations who are poor in other areas did the same? Lets agree, its time for a new agreement. Those who are formally educated or religious, you are the leaders in a society where most aren’t conscious of their own ‘leader within’. What is it that you have agreed with? If its roots are pure you are at peace. If serenity and morality escapes you check the root of that with which you’ve agreed, because you are the excepted ‘gatekeepers’ and others will agree with you.
Somebody’s theory through constant repetition is accepted and eventually we agree that its truth. From this agreement we fashion reality and become emotionally attached to an idea that we have no idea from whence it came. As a result somewhere a black child is being shaped and fashioned in the image of a thought that he/she is worthless and will grow up to make it so. Somewhere a soldier who simply wanted to pay for school is now a murderer of his fellow man because of an agreement that he is facing an enemy. Somewhere a nurse is comforting a patient who once felt hopeless and somewhere a teacher is honing his/her craft because they have agreed that there is healing in their work.
The son of man says, let us agree… its time for a new agreement.
To those that have an ear let him/her hear.
Branden Lee is a blogger, screenwriter, producer, and actor, currently residing in Boston, MA. Follow Branden on Twitter and Tumblr.
I read an article on the Backlot about how there are still many gay men out there that are uncomfortable displaying public displays of affection (PDA) with their significant others.
No matter how out and proud a gay person may be, that doesn’t reflect one’s comfort level of displaying their love out in public. Some gay people are afraid of holding hands, kissing, making out in public because they may still feel the stigma of being gay and that their affection is best left behind closed doors. Sometimes it’s out of shame, but mostly it’s out of fear.
Although GLBT people are continuously making strides in ending being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, many horrible acts of violence are still being committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
Just this year a gay man was gunned down in a gay friendly part of NYC in broad daylight just because he was dressed nonconforming to gender roles. I also read a story about a heterosexual couple being attacked in NYC simply because the husband kissed the couple’s gay friend goodbye.
Marriage equality and workplace discrimination laws don’t stop bigotry and stupidity. No law can prevent some crazy person from running up and attacking you on the street. A psycho with a gun could be anywhere at any moment, and sadly gay people must still live in fear of expressing themselves in fear that they could be gay bashed at any moment.
So that’s why many gay couples are too afraid to outwardly display their love in public. It’s sad, but understandable.
I’ve never had a boyfriend, so all of my instances with PDA have been with friends or dates, usually on the first date. I tend to enjoy treating a guy like they are my longtime boyfriend even on the first date. I figure that since it’s a rarity for me to have a second date, I might as well get out all the fun stuff on the first date. I love making guys uncomfortable on purpose, but I like walking out in public arm and arm or holding hands with a guy.
I also tend to get with guys that don’t identify as gay, so I’m always shocked when they don’t resist my PDA. I’ve walked down the streets of Boston holding hands and touching guys in public and can’t recall ever being harassed or looked at funny. Granted I’m the most flamboyant feminine gay I’ve ever known, so I don’t even notice people looking at me disapprovingly anymore.
Sometimes I’m a bit surprised I’ve never been gay bashed, since I am so unapologetically flamboyant. Thankfully it’s never happened to me, but that doesn’t mean it never will. I’ve received a lot of threatening looks, harassment on the street, and teasing, but luckily it’s never been a physical act of violence against me.I’ve heard so many stories of gay bashings, and though one would think the more flamboyant you are the more likely you’d be attacked, but it seems like that doesn’t even matter.
If someone hates gay people, they hate gay people. It doesn’t matter if you’re feminine or masculine, they hate you because you’re gay. They’ll try to harass, threaten, and eliminate you because of you’re sexuality, which sounds ridiculously stupid in this day and age, but prejudice will always exist. It’s annoying when gays try to turn on each other and blame the more feminine gays for causing straight people to hate gay people, and think that if feminine gays weren’t so flamboyant straights would accept them more, which is an absolutely stupid notion. Yet so many gays think that way.
I love seeing any gay couple displaying PDA. Whether they’re old, young, fat, fit, ugly, or attractive, it’s great to see gay couples not afraid to be affectionate to each other in public. It’s important to not only show other gays that it is possible to find love, but also that you shouldn’t ever live your life in fear. Gay bashings are unfortunate but not that common. It’s impossible to predict when something bad will happen, so there’s no point in living your life scared of the unknown. Some do end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but not most.
I can’t wait to finally get a boyfriend and enjoy being able to publicly display my affection wherever I please. Though it is pretty disturbing when any couple, gay or straight, makes out on the street, but if I want to I have that right. No one can tell me where I can’t express my love!
Every time my birthday rolls around it seems like it was just yesterday I was a year younger; time really does seem to fly. Though going from 18 to 19, it seemed like a lifetime.
It’s amazing that a year ago I was enjoying my summer with my girlfriend of three years. My memory is a little foggy but I’m pretty sure I spent the afternoon with her, as was the norm with me and her. We exchanged gifts, considering our anniversary landed on the same day; I got her a key necklace with a heart as it’s main part, she also got me a necklace in the shape of a heart with our names inscribed in it. I’m not sure where that necklace went to..
I entered college that September at William Paterson University. Man oh man that was quite an experience. In a period of four months I watched my relationship crumble, learned that college isn’t easy, and that it’s a dog eat dog world. I left in late November, partly due to the fact I just wasn’t ready to be in college and because they locked my account since I apparently wasn’t a “legal” US citizen (don’t mind my SSN, bank account, drivers license, etc).
My parents were supportive of me leaving WPU, my dad was too caught up arguing with the school over their actions, but I felt alone in my world. I didn’t want to be the kid sitting around doing nothing with his life but also didn’t want to instantly jump into college again. So, I did what any sensible 18 year old would do, I became a certified bartender.
Being a bartender seemed like a cool idea, of course from a business perspective, paying an 18 year old to handle alcohol is a “no-no”. With that plan failing I just started looking around for whatever was out there. The job hunt had it’s many lows but, every now and then it provided me with a job and timeless memories.
I knew though that I couldn’t survive working as a promoter for clubs or working part time in a retail store. I took a deep deep breath and registered back up to go to college. Brace yourself Bergen County College, I’m coming for you!
One year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, has felt like a lifetime to me. My world has flipped upside down more than once and has undergone a change in every way. I’ve changed my friends, my style, my attitude, my view on life, and much much more. The 18 year old teen who walked cautiously into college a year ago has been replaced by a 19 year old who feels like he’s ready to take on the world.
One of those people who say “Never say never.” My friends, if asked, would be eager to tell you that I have annoyed each of them at least half a dozen times for various reasons to not begin a sentence with the words “I can’t”.
But at the risk of falling into hypocrisy, I have to begin this short text by keeping it real. I can’t dance…seriously. Also while I’m in ‘confessing-my-faults’ mode here, my attempts at singing have gotten me labeled ‘tone deaf’, ‘Luther Can’t-dross’ and on more than one occasion I’ve heard the words “Okay – okay just stop” in the middle of my hitting a note.
So since I shouldn’t say the words “I can’t”, I’ll just say that I currently struggle with (clears throat) ‘hitting certain octaves’ at this point in my non-career as a vocalist.
My struggles with hitting a note reminds me of our spiritually, mentally and politically misguided struggles as the Human Family to harmonize and arrange the notes of thought and action into pleasing, foot tapping, rhythmic tones. Notes that would be strummed from the chords of our minds and allow our souls to dance as one.
The will and discipline to evolve an arrangement of melodic vibrations into timeless symphonies out of the disharmonious and confused collection of notes that we currently have jumbled on the page of our minds and planet still eludes us.
What healing can be found in the melodies of a well ordered arrangement? The Son of Man says it would be a wise investment of time for us to plumb the depths of the answer to that question.
Excuse my language and my street colloquialisms but with the planet being poisoned, our food and water being controlled by corporations and our political leaders bought and paid for… shit done got real!
It has been said that “Music is a universal language”. As a lover of music, yet a non-dancing-Luther-Can’t-dross singing type of guy, I can only relate to the truth of the question of this ‘universal language’ by my awareness of music being exactly what everything else is, vibrations and energy. That certainly is universal. The great scientist Nicola Tesla stated “If you wish to understand the universe think of energy, frequency and vibration”.
After meditating on what music actually is I see it –yes, I SEE music — as a rhythmic timing of vibration and sound that allows us to be reminded of the harmony and serenity of a well ordered life (being life partners with a musician my definition better at least be close or I’ll never hear the end of it).
There are lessons in our music, in our universal harmonious symphony that is above us, beneath us and all around us. Wise Jazz aficionados are clear that John Coltrane and Miles Davis are prophets showing us ‘the way’ no less than those written of in the scriptures.
Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin are proof that voices are angels and definitely have wings.
Rakim showed us an example of the effortlessness of life’s flow over the roughest terrain when the flow is done in Consciousness.
James Brown and Michael Jackson, are absolutely messengers of the rhythmic vibrations of life.
The tone and pitch of one’s voice can heal as well as harm. The rhythm of the vibration of one’s thoughts attract as well as repel. In 1976 the great music revolutionary Stevie Wonder released one of the greatest collections of ‘lessons’ ever recorded, “Songs in The Key of Life”… The Son of Man says LIFE IS MUSIC… LIVE HARMONIOUSLY WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR MUSIC WILL BE HEARD.
If teenagers are amazing at one thing, it’s for us to just not seem to care or at least to put up a facade that we could care less. If you were to look at my Facebook news feed on the normal day you’ll read constant statuses about people ranting on about how they “don’t care anymore about so and so” or how they wish they just didn’t care about anyone, these of course are followed by some stupid hash tags.
It’s an understandable phase we all seem to go through, as people seem to go through so many short romances when we’re teens. Teenagers are an emotional wreck from the start and we understand that if we show that we care about someone, we’re just opening ourselves to be hurt or the chance to be hurt. One minute we can be so in love with someone and all can be right in the world, fast forward to next week and we’re sitting on the couch crying our eyes out with a gallon of ice cream. I’ve been there, minus the ice cream part, and have seen many others go through the same trouble; it’s not fun to watch it all happen and even less fun getting back on your feet.
The goal seems to be then that we want to reach the point where we just don’t give a sh*t (sorry I’m lacking better words here). Life is a journey in itself and through it everyone has to go through many obstacles, this being one of them. Going from being in love to being heart broken isn’t something anyone wants to sign up for right away but it’s something that will happen to everyone at least once. If you are the type of person who just doesn’t seem to care or doesn’t want to get hurt, you’ll never have to face this challenge because you will sit there and convince yourself you don’t need to. You’ll convince yourself you’re fine on your own, doing you, but you’re not alright.
To love someone is just being human. Last I checked I am a human and whoever is reading this is just as much a human as I am. To convince yourself you don’t need someone to care for you is just..well is convincing yourself you’re not human. We all need someone by our side, a good friend, a significant other, or even a family member; we all need somebody who will be there for us. When you act like you don’t give a dam about anyone or anything, people will start to believe you and treat you as such. I’d rather love and be hurt than be treated like I really could care less about you and myself. Nothing should stop you from showing how much you care about someone. As far as I know there is no such thing as “loving someone too much”, if there is well it doesn’t exist in my books.
A message to all teenagers of the world: Go out there into the world and show that you care about yourself and others. Go out there and fall in love. Go out there and let your heart break. It’ll all be okay and so will you.
30-year-old Richie Parker of Beaufort, South Carolina was born without arms, many people told him he couldn’t ride a bike, live on his own and have a successful job. Parker proved them all wrong and went on to become a star Vehicle Engineer at Hendrick Motorsports. Parker says, ‘I don’t think there are a whole lot of things in life that I can’t do, just things I haven’t done yet’.
The verdict is still on my mind….I find it really troubling that in this day and age I will have to have “The Talk” with my son one day.
The Talk that explains how he needs to act when he gets pulled over by the police, The Talk that explains to him that he does not “fit the description”. The Talk that explains to him that he does not deserve to be stalked, he does not deserve to be profiled, and he does not deserve to get shot.
Through raising my son, he will know his life is not worthless, not meaningless. I am going to make sure that he grows into a God-fearing, God-loving, Handsome, Talented, Educated MAN with a beautiful family in which he is a wonderful Husband and Father. It is so sad that he has to grow up in this world in its current state.
Response email from another father of a son:
I understand that racism is not a trait you are born with but it is learned, which makes it that much more evil. I can’t begin to tell you all the times I saw this growing up. As a white man you are constantly bombarded with racist comments, like an advertisement on TV about others and their appearance. The hatred is handed to you on a silver platter while the server smiles at you. As a kid you associate this nonchalant lesson with a positive one and you start (unknowingly) actualizing it. My parents taught me one great thing though, question EVERYTHING; so I did, I left no rock unturned. I questioned Christianity, God, my parents, and all authority. Racism was something that I truly believed I didn’t have a problem with. I didn’t feel like I was racist because I had friends of different colors. I didn’t realize until college that racism was a self-evident proposition and the true evil of it was that it didn’t need proof in order to exist. I didn’t have to believe in it to be influenced by it. This angered me because I let it in. My eyes opened up for the first time and I realized that racism will always be a constant internal struggle for me as much as it is an external struggle in our communities.This leads me back to my son. I haven’t taught my son about racism yet because I still see that innocence in his eyes, but after seeing your post I realize that I better start handing him love on a silver platter while smiling at him. I have to casually, and nonchalantly communicate equality. I HAVE to make it a daily thing in order to make it a self-evident proposition before he can question it and know that it is actually a self-evident truth that all men are equal. I decided to message you this because I didn’t know how others would view this. You taught me something today Evan. I owe my kids this and I have to work hard at it in order to make it reality.
Branden Lee is a blogger, screenwriter, producer, and actor, currently residing in Boston, MA. Follow Branden on Twitter and Tumblr.
I’ve never been much of a political person, but there are two main issues that I really care about. Gay marriage and abortion. As a gay man, I look forward to being able to fall in love and solidify my romance by one day throwing a huge lavish extravagant wedding worthy of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.
With DOMA finally being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, gay marriages are finally equal to heterosexual marriages in the eyes of the law. Before DOMA was declared unconstitutional I didn’t really think there was a point in getting married if I was going to be denied the benefits of marriage. I’m so thankful to be living in a time when these strides for gay people are occurring, and since I’m only 22, so many more are bound to come before I finally do find the man I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. Plus with gays getting all the benefits of marriage now, the playing field is opened for all the gay gold-diggers out there.
Abortion has always been something I’ve been passionate about. Perhaps it’s the feminist in me. Women have always been a huge part of my life. My mother and grandmother were my biggest influences growing up. Most of my closest friends are women. Female musicians, actresses, comedians are my favorites. I always hate when a man declares that “women aren’t funny”. Personally I don’t find any straight white male comedians to be hilarious. Though we do gravitate most towards comedy that we relate to, and I find it easier to relate to women then straight men. Female villains that usually destroy and thwart the male characters are always my favorites in TV and movies. My favorite characters on Game of Thrones are Cersei, Melisandre, and Margaery to put things into perspective.
Since I love seeing women destroy men so much, I hate when male lawmakers constantly attempt to belittle and thwart women’s rights. Which is why I care so much about abortion. No one should be forced to endure a pregnancy to give birth to a child that they don’t want. If someone doesn’t want to have a baby, that’s their decision and their right to do whatever they want with their fertilized egg. Their body, their choice. Women earned their fundamental right to have control of their bodies long ago, so why is abortion still constantly on the battleground for lawmakers?
I do find it shocking though that there are gay men that don’t support a women’s right to choose. While browsing OkCupid I like to browse the questions answered by guys I’ve rated highly based on their attractiveness. I want to see if I’ll still find them attractive based on their personalities and stances on certain issues. Granted their viewpoints may have changed, depending on how long ago they even answered the questions. Also it is only OkCupid so I shouldn’t take it that seriously, but it’s still fun to check out. I often see guys would rather date/procreate with someone of the same race. As a non-white gay who almost exclusively only dates interracially, it’s disappointing to read this, but I’ve come to terms with the prevalence of sexual racism in the gay community. I find it more shocking to see profiles where guys say they don’t believe women should ever be able to terminate their pregnancies. I find it so unfathomable that a gay man would be anti-abortion. Though I’m sure many of these conservative anti-gay/anti-abortion lawmakers are secretly gay, it’s still revolting to see openly gay men believing that women shouldn’t have their own right to choose.
Due to my lack of uterus I’ll never have to worry about a future boyfriend and I having to make a decision about terminating our unwanted gestation, but I don’t think I could ever date a guy that is against abortion. One of my very best friend’s has had an abortion in the past. Ironically she’s my only religious friend and used to say she was anti-choice. Some people really don’t know their own viewpoints until the issue actually personally affects them.
Though it shouldn’t surprise me that there are gay men that don’t value the rights of women, since misogyny runs as rampantly in the gay community as racism. As a makeup-loving, Forever 21 shopping, diva worshipping, flamboyant gay man, I’m constantly bombarded with effemephobia/misogyny. Effemephobia is the hatred/prejudice against feminine gay men for those unaware. There are countless guys that outwardly express their distaste and dislike of feminine gay men all over their online dating profiles, just as there are countless men that expresses their racism. It’s racist to say that you’re not attracted to certain races, like it’s misogynist to say you’re not attracted to feminine men.
Everyone has their own preference, but preferences that discriminate against people based on their ethnicity and skin color developed from racism. Discriminating against femininity develops from believing that women are the lesser sex, weak, and anything feminine is not to be desired. Granted as gay men we aren’t attracted to women, but if a guy doesn’t have a vagina or identify as a woman, then he’s not a woman. The worst thing to see is gay men that say “I like men, so act like one.” or “If I wanted a girl, I’d date one.”. Seeing that I have no vagina and don’t identify as a girl, despite always being mistaken as one when I talk on the phone with strangers, I’m not a woman. I did once have two guys cancel dates with me in one day because they hated my girly voice. These ignorant hateful gender normative statements are invalid.
Another aspect of the girly gay guy struggle is guys finding it so repulsive that some boys enjoy wearing makeup. I find it comical how often guys get so turned off when I send them a picture of me wearing makeup. I only wear makeup when I go clubbing, which is usually less than once a week occurrence. Wearing makeup for 3-4 hours less than once a week rendering me undateable is ridiculous. Though if a guy believes in such archaic rules of gender expression, they aren’t someone I’d want to be with anyway.
In my experience “straight” but curious boys, bisexual guys, and tranny chasers tend to be the most appreciative of feminine gay men. Though it’s only natural that men that are also attracted to women, would be attracted to feminine features in men. How ironic that the most passably “straight” men in the gay spectrum, desire the most marginalized and least passably “straight” that are often ostracized by the rest of the gay community.
Though I am a man, ladies I do know the struggle. I very much know how it feels to be treated as a second class citizen because I’m a fem in a very pro-butch patriarchal society. I know how it feels to go out in a skimpy outfit and feel that my safety is threatened by random men on the subway or street molesting me with their eyes. I know the struggle of walking home alone in the middle of the night and having some creepy strange man try to follow me with his car and beep his horn at me and expected me to jump inside because he assumed I was a woman, luckily when he realized I wasn’t he quickly sped off. I’ve experienced what it feels like to have a man feel entitled to your body simply because he bought you dinner. I know what it feels like to worry that I’ll never be successful in my desired career all because I’m not a cisgender male.
We as gay men need women to survive. Whether it’s our friends, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, co-workers, etc… Although it’s shameful and perplexing that there are gay men out there that don’t support women’s reproductive rights, there are luckily many gay men that do. Without women there would be no gay marriage. Roe vs. Wade wasn’t the be all end all decision on abortion, and DOMA will most likely not be the be all end all of gay marriage rights.
As lawmakers constantly try to thwart progress it’s important to be actively aware and united, as women and gay men, to help protect each other’s rights. If they come for one, they’ll come for the other next, or even simultaneously.
Branden Lee is a blogger, screenwriter, producer, and actor, currently residing in Boston, MA. Follow Branden on Twitter and Tumblr.
Jezebel reports that men are embracing the aesthetic grooming rituals of women and utilizing makeup, waxing/hair removal, and skin care products.
1000 people in the US & UK were surveyed and the results showed that 12% of men use eyeliner, 45% wax and have undergone laser hair removal, and 60% of those surveyed use “women’s skincare products”.
In addition 51% of men carry “man bags” 16% wear sarongs, 12% wear women’s jeans, and 72% believe that children shouldn’t be taught outdated and repressive gender specific roles/behaviors.
Buzzfeed has compiled a list of plenty of male celebrities that love wearing makeup such as Russell Brand, Adam Lambert, Dwyane Wade, Johnny Depp, Cristiano Ronaldo, and many more.
On the bright side ladies and gents, men are taking care of themselves. Hopefully back hair will be fully eradicated!
On the other hand, ladies may soon have to compete with their boyfriends over who has the best purse.
But everyone wins in believing that no matter you’re gender, you should be allowed to wear and dress your body however you choose. Your body your choice.
Gender roles and stereotypes need to be annihilated, and the new generation is fostering that.
For as long as I can remember I’ve had complete freedom when it comes with what I can do with my life. My parents have rarely, if ever, said I can’t do something or hang out with certain people. For as long as I can also remember, I’ve never met parents that are anywhere near as lenient as my parents; many of my friends parents hover over them in one way or another.
My parents didn’t think twice letting me drive and take my friends to play paintball
If you ask my parents why they give me such freedoms, their answer will be that they trust me completely. I’ve never given them a reason to not. I don’t come home drunk or on some drug(s), do reckless things, hang out with the wrong crowd, or be a total numb skull. This trust is what lets me leave late at night, come home even later, have my own car, promote for clubs, sleep over a girlfriends house and hang out with friends they have never met.
Now you may think my parents aren’t involved much in my life if they give me such freedom but, that would be wrong. I love hanging out with my mom and though I can be seen as a tougher kid, I’m not ashamed to say that. Sure me and my dad may get on each other nerves sometimes but, we still have a lot in common that keeps us close. I really do enjoy being around my parents and hanging out with them both.
I was trusted with a car as soon as I got my license
On the other side of the spectrum, most of my friends parents still have a tendency to hover over them as if they’re twelve years old. Their parents control who they hang out with, don’t trust them when they’re out, check in on them constantly, to sum it up they baby their teenage son or daughter. They seem to shelter their kid from the world as much as they possibly can, the same world they’ll one day be on their own to live in.
Ask these teens if they can’t wait to get away from their parents thanks to college or to just be able to move out one day and they will all say “yes!” These same teens usually go totally rebellious once they are free of their parents since they can finally choose their own life to live.
I am not a parent nor am I claiming to be one in anyway. I’ve never raised a kid and don’t plan to for many years to come. I am only a product of how I was raised by my parents; I was raised in a way that I believe every kid should be as well. We all need to be able to experience the world when we’re young, the world we will one day be on our own to live in.
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