I hesitated in posting here, originally I was gonna reply, but I wanna take the soapbox, even though I've been a long follower and despite me speaking about men's issues for ages, I still kinda felt that... maybe I won't be accepted with my reply or is it a good look? And that, made me realize how essential it is for all of us dudes and not only to speak up about the issues men face these days!

Basically... I've faced a lot of issues being a guy and specifically being a russian speaking gay guy. Like... I literally don't feel safe whenever I go back to see family and I've got plenty of stories from randos to police to back up, like you can literally choose many of my characteristics which just give people reason to pick a fight verbal or a fucking fine.

I grew up in a household and everything where being a man was nearly equal to being a demon, due to the rad feminist ideology and seeing these days that everyone is erasing rad fem past in LGBT circles and et cetera is not just annoying me, but feels like another spit and slap in the face.

I've lost many friends by coming out as a trans guy, by coming out as a gay guy. I'm also white which gets muddled up into "never had slavery in ancestry, colonialist background and etc". My ancestors were slaves. Why do I even have to bring receipts and I don't make a fuss out of it, I just mention it when people say that white people have no being slaves history.

The most difficult coming out of my life was as a gay man, because what's worse than one man? TWO men loving each other, of course! I was said that I am stealing myself from being a husband and my partner from a woman as well!

How dare I stop being an inspiration? (Sure, the nastiest quotes are from changed people as they had over 7 years to turn leaf, but still stings and I recall the first recations, not to mention the enormous amounts of blocks from close friends who didn't want to be friends with a trans guy or a guy alone and obviously that was that in the blocked numbers).

I thought about this a lot and indeed... Why can't I have a proud dude shirt? Sure, I'd like some Tom of Finland dudes with my caption on some stationary, but in general I hate how everything has girl power on it with no alternative and even if you look at unisex fashion or anyone striding fashion it's always femme, femme is good and has a girl next to the guy. So is it really unisex and if you can find it in female sections? Why has men's fashion even gotten so rigid and it's like... maybe some dudes just wanna wear suits and others don't. We shouldn't judge. Men come in all shapes and sizes. What about goth brands? Why don't they have plus size??? What about make up ads? Why must we all have some hidden "fem" side to enjoy such things? I'll rewatch Fight Club and fight Brad Pitt anytime gladly with my nails dyed. I don't even know what examples I need. I just wanna be me and accepted everywhere without striding with caution.

Me wearing my clothes, etc doesn't make me less of a man.

Also, someone posted in another thread that being trans or gay or some other ethnicity gives you a leeway to be proud, I thought on that and wanted to say... I'm just a guy. Then everything else comes later.