Liberates our Dignity, Empowers All in their Humanity

We men are troubled by the violence that men have perpetuated against women over millennia, recently brought into the spotlight by #MeToo. What many of us don’t recognize is how much we too are damaged by the harm we’ve inflicted, whether it was against women, our male brothers, or any others. trueMASCULINITY.org wishes to address the enormous challenge of ending this legacy of violence, stopping the suffering, protecting all of us from harm, and helping us open our hearts to love.
 
But, to break the cycle, we must first free ourselves from our enculturation into violence and the misled ideals of masculinity it encourages. Our cultural conditioning tells us to "man up," to numb our human sensitivity, limiting our capacity for compassion, empathy, and connection with ourselves and others. Such “manning up” stifles our hearts whereby we become separated from the true source of our passion, power, aliveness, and love. But the time has come to reconnect with ourselves, and our humanity.

This movement (trueMASCULINITY.org) seeks to reclaim all that is dignified, honorable, and courageous about masculinity, to reclaim what it means to be a man and to "man up."  

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We declare that true masculinity is creative, not destructive. Pointing the way to a better future, true masculinity honors and protects the sovereignty of every being, especially those disenfranchised in our society—women, men, and otherwise. True masculinity doesn’t rely on brute force. It is potent, powerful, and heartful in and of itself. Confident and secure, true masculinity freely empowers others to actualize the highest potential of their humanity.

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Let us free our hearts’ capacity to love. Let us shine a light on our darkness, pain, and shame. Only then can we work towards healing our relationships with ourselves, with women, and with anyone else along the spectrum of gender identity. Only then can we shed our archaic ideals and unchain ourselves from gender stereotypes. Only then, standing tall with our dignity restored, can we open our hearts and arms into a welcoming embrace with our siblings.  And, finally, walk hand-in-hand with them into the future.