Sorry to link to an animated gif, but itโs true that masculinity is fragile.
No one is immune to it. The culture is absolutely steeped in the denigration of femininity and for males the constant policing of oneโs masculinity*.
This is well-illustrated by the guys clapping for the milquetoast fopdoodle who canโt even bear to touch his partnerโs or friendโs purse.
As I said, no oneโs immune. But I donโt care. Buy tampons for you? Sure. The only problem I have is there are like 11 million kinds and I have no idea which are most appropriate. Itโs like me walking into a auto parts store.
Nothing about femininity or its expression is embarrassing to me because nothing about being a woman is embarrassing to me, taints me or otherwise harms me.
In fact some of my very favorite people and personal heroes are women.
*As street harassment of women is invisible to most men, most women Iโve found have little idea just how harshly, stringently and frequently males police masculinity among themselves, all backed with the threat of violence.
Yes, it is a self-created problem but nope, one individual canโt just opt out.