The giant, unavoidable, and seemingly insurmountable problem, at the heart of “mens issues’, is that the world f**king hates them. I dare you, bring any these issues up at a bustling party, or at the pub, or even to your friends, and watch the vibe evaporate from the room. Watch bodies turn away, or look down at their feet; see the eyes roll, as cheery expressions drop from faces, to become shocked, saddened, or snarled, as deathly silence surrounds you. Yes. That my friend is called stigma. The clanger. The buzz kill. The lead balloon. The s**t sandwich. Call it what you want, it’s the uninvited guest to every conversation around “mens issues”, and it’s why so few make it as far as you have. Of course, people will weaponize this stigma; comparing you to the alt-right, N*zis, or white supremacists; strangers online will speculate over your sex life, or scoff, about something like “straight pride”, or “all lives matter”. Yes. Stigma. And despite claims to the opposite, there is a huge, festering dollop of it right at the heart of this space So the question is, how do we respond? Do we double down, ball our firsts, and grit our teeth? Do we laugh it off as a bad joke? Do we round off our corners, and wind down our demands? There are, after all, many dances to this dance; some plead, some apologise, or bargain. Some paternalistically pat our heads, and ask we wait for a better day. Many will twist themselves in knots, diminishing these issues into inconvenient side quests to feminism’s one true cause. Whilst others yell bombastically into their camera phone, or tweet themselves senseless, throwing increasingly desperate, hyperbolic, and outrageous haymakers, as they grasp once more for relevancy. Some offer long arduous disclaimers, small print, and caveats, as they pay penance, and dance for public approval. And yes, each jig has its benefits. So I ask, if we are the sweeten this bitter pill, how do we do it, or do we not sweeten anything at all? What do you think?

2025-07-30