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I’ve learned a lot about what it means to ‘be a man’ from trans people—both those moving past their masculine identity and those working towards it. Here are three books by trans authors that I feel offer some wisdom, or that offered some wisdom for me.
Read MoreThe second installment of our Q&A with NGM Community Manager Veronika Ilich, on Women's History Month and why we'd do well to reimagine it in a more nuanced and inclusive way—even if that means leaving the comfort of simple narratives and comfortable collective memories.
Read MoreNGM Executive Director Jake Stika shares a reflection that was first sparked by the abduction & murder of Sarah Everard in the U.K., and which then took on extra weight with hateful deeds that took place earlier this week in a shooting spree in Atlanta.
Read MoreI’m particularly interested in authors who view their protagonists with depth, range and emotional complexity. The characters in these books are role models for boys who do not always make the right decisions but do always strive to treat others—and themselves—with courage, compassion and integrity.
Read MoreTo mark International Women’s Day, we sat down with NGM Community Manager Veronika Ilich to discuss the meaning behind the day, and how its radical roots often get buried.
Read MoreWhy are we there? How should men show up for this day? Should we be handed microphones or should we sit back and shut up? We hear these kinds of questions every year, and we ask them ourselves too.
At its worst, trash talk gets picked up by boys who would rather go on the offensive than end up as targets themselves. It fuels the us-versus-them dehumanization that turns rivalry into conflict, and the hierarchical don’t-be-vulnerable mindset that leads to patterns of hazing in sports teams and toxicity in video games.
Read MoreThis month’s NGM Circle was all about friendship! We looked at representations of gender and friendships in media, and how they’ve reinforced or subverted gendered tropes like childhood friends falling in love, the ‘friendzone,’ bromance, and more!
Read MoreTo redefine what it means to be a man—if you travelled back in time and asked us what our vision is at Next Gen Men, that’s what we would have said, not even all that many months ago. And if you’ve taken note more recently, we’ve basically stopped. Why?
Read MoreBeyond well-worn stereotypes about shutting down or hooking up, teenage boys want to feel close, and loved, and they want to talk with their parents about their relationships. Seriously.
Read MoreI can acknowledge the elements of life, love, identity and fatherhood that are still a mystery to me. To be honest, I have more questions than answers at this time, but I'm grateful that I have an extraordinary partner and a happy, healthy, and curious son who will teach us as much as we teach him.
Read MoreRemember that ‘raising awareness’ is a means to an end. We raise awareness so that we can act with awareness, and bring awareness to our work. The next time that another awareness day, or another tragedy, has mental health is in the headlines, skip past all the thought-pieces and amplify the voices that speak of action.
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