The American Psychological Association (APA) publicly released its “first-ever guidelines for practice with men and boys,” in which “traditional masculinity” is deemed to be “harmful” and just too masculine.
As the extensive APA report reads, “traditional masculinity” is not only bad for men but is an “ideology” that can feed “homophobia” and cause sexual harassment. The report was actually issued internally last August but has only been released to the public this week.
Weak man in front of chalkboard (Shutterstock/rangizzz)
The report defines traditional masculinity as an attitude that is “marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression … on the whole, harmful.” (RELATED: Ohio State U Student Blames ‘Toxic Masculinity’ For Brutal Rape Murder)
The APA insists “traditional masculinity is psychologically harmful and that socializing boys to suppress their emotions causes damage that echoes both inwardly and outwardly.”
But it’s more than just a state of mind, as “masculinity ideology” is characterized by “a particular constellation of standards that have held sway over large segments of the population, including: anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure, risk, and violence.”
Demonstrators with the group GetEQUAL hold a protest with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals affected by the country’s immigration policies during a rally outside the White House in Washington, DC, September 9, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB/Getty Images
