On Maleness, MaleID/Trans Masculinity, Expectations and Being "Less of a Man"

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

like values, ethics, morals and all around building blocks that lead to a life that embodies a good person male or female.

I was thinking about this and how it applies to my day-to-day. And also how it can apply to some of Ender's original post...

I play a lot of poker. Unfortunately, 90-95% of the other players at the tables are men. I say "unfortunately" because I would really love to see more women playing......but that's a whole other topic.

There is no shortage of assholes at a poker table; those of you who play regularly will most likely agree. I don't say much when playing, but I do speak up when inappropriate or off-color comments are made......or if I feel someone at the table is bullying someone else (in some way other than just poker play).

It is *rare*.......extremely rare......that I'm met with support or with the offending party apologizing to whomever he was speaking. More often than not, I get comments like......"Oh, are you the table captain?" "What? You can say whatever but I can't?" (That one never makes sense because I'm not usually talking at the table.) My favorite of late... A young guy got knocked out of the tournament, stood up and said, "Somebody knock Mr. Cool out over there."

When all of this is going on, I get that "hot" feeling.......kinda anxious. I don't like confrontation, but I *despise* hateful, sexist, or racist comments. To be honest, more than anything else it is usually bullying types of behavior that I see. Regardless of what it is, I don't ever want any one person to feel he/she is standing alone.

And I think about it all after the fact... I wonder what these other guys are thinking when they're sitting there spitting and wanting to rip off my head. I wonder if they think I'm a candy ass.....or a goody-goody....or...."less of a man".....because I'm not chiming in on whatever happens to be the hot topic. And not only because I'm not chiming in but because I speak to the contrary when I feel they've crossed a critical line or when, more importantly, someone else at the table now feels threatened or unsafe.