Let Boys Be.

 

By Akwaeke Chisom. 

Let boys breathe. Let boys live. Let boys be who they want to be.

Boys live in a society where we are told to hide parts of ourselves. Parts which the society considers weak. We are told 'how to dress like a boy', and 'how to act like a boy'. Our feelings are rarely considered because we can't be ourselves. We live in a time where boys are referred to as 'abnormal' because they do not adhere to masculine stereotypes. 

Showing vulnerability, playing with dolls, crying - doing things that are not considered done by men are ways in which a boy is called girly. 

You hear things like "Are boys this emotional", "Man up". The feelings of these boys are not put into consideration. No, their feelings are invalid because a boy shouldn't have traits of femininity in them. It then makes you wonder why there is a fear of femininity showing in boys if not for the fact that the people who enforce these rules are patriarchs who do not see women as anything other than being lower than them, hence they try to suppress boys whose expressions and mannerisms are feminine. Femininity shouldn't be devalued and masculinity shouldn't be seen as the 'greater one'.

Let people express themselves in the best way they can. Let boys cry. Let boys play with barbie dolls. Let boys cook. Let boys be heart broke. Let boys know that they can express themselves however they want to. When we start teaching our boys and ourselves these things, we in turn create a safe space for them, and they in turn create a safe space for others without hate in their hearts. 

Akwaeke Chisom is a young adult who hails from Imo State, Nigeria. He is a student of History and International Relations at the Lagos State University. He has the drive to curb toxic masculinity and break masculine stereotypes. He also stands for women's rights.