Last week I got together with 12 lovely people of all genders to talk about what, if anything, it means to “be a man”. It was the last session in the series I run called Unlearn Bullshit! a monthly series funded by the Raymond Williams Foundation for tackling ideology and finding better ways to think and live. The sessions are a combination of mini-talks, sharing circles, and playful experiments.
I really enjoyed the discussion, and it just made me want to carry it further. There's so much more to talk about when it comes to men, flourishing, and gender liberation, and I’m excited to continue this conversation. Those who came along know how scary this topic is for me, but last Tuesday’s session really helped me figure out what I’m trying to say, and why I think it’s so important. Right now, I just want to say a little about why it hasn’t been easy to raise the topic of how to be a man, and why I think we need to do it anyway.