Five Men Who Are Changing The Conversation Around Masculinity

Today is International Men’s Day, a day to celebrate the positive value men bring to the world, their families and their communities. The day highlights positive role models and raises awareness of men’s wellbeing. We’re looking at some great examples of men who are changing the conversations around masculinity and what it means...

HARRY STYLES

Everyone’s favourite ex-Directioner, Harry Styles has been pushing the concept of masculinity since he shot to fame. And, since his solo career he’s been pushing the boundaries further, especially when it comes to fashion. Harry isn’t afraid to wear outfits that aren’t ‘traditional’ for ‘men’ to wear - his Vogue cover saw him in a full length designer dress, and he frequently wears heeled boots, glitter, nail varnish, see through lace tops, and skirts. In 2019, he said, “Many borders are falling – in fashion, but also in music, films and art. … Even if the masculine and feminine exist, their limits are the subject of a game...We no longer need to be this or that. I think now, people are just trying to be good.”

NOEL FIELDING

Noel may be the rising star of Bake Off these days, but he’s been in the public eye - and heart - for almost twenty years now. When The Mighty Boosh first hit our screens, people were captivated by his eccentric style and humour. Described as “Britain’s most charming goth”, an “indie darling” and “a poster boy for weirdos”, Noel has always been a great example of being exactly who you are and loving every bit of it. And the world agrees. His style even landed him a designing job for Fendi in 2021. When asked in a Reddit AMA session what he wants to pass on to younger generations, his answer was, “That it's okay to be androgynous. For a boy to wear makeup, for men to wear dresses and to generally cover everything in glitter.”

TERRY CREWS

On the outside, Terry Crews is exactly what every stereotyped ‘man’s man’ looks like. He’s tall. He’s mostly built of muscle. He’s pretty intimidating. And it makes sense, seeing as his career started as a professional football player in the NFL. But muscles don’t maketh the man. It came as a big shock to everyone in 2018 when Terry supported the #MeToo movement and opened up about being sexually assaulted by a high-profile agent in Hollywood. The response? People made fun of him, commented that at his size, he should have ‘fought it off’. Even though it happened in a public space, surrounded by lots of people. Terry said, of the incident and the backlash, “The story we tell ourselves is, if you’re a man, you can’t be assaulted. So what happens when it happens? Are you not a man?...This is what toxic masculinity is. People think, look how big you are, look how strong you are. If I was you I would've killed him. But my body's not for killing.” Terry has continued to speak out on toxic masculinity and how it negatively affects the lives of men - and others around them - and has been a mouthpiece and a source of comfort for others who have been through the same but have not been able to speak up.

TROYE SIVAN

Troye Sivan was once just a self-made YouTuber who put out weekly, funny content for the masses. Then, all of a sudden he was more. He was a certified pop-star-famous-person-film-actor-singing-with-ariana-grande-invited-to-the-Met-Gala type of person. And while he had two albums tucked under his belt already, it wasn’t until 2018, upon the release of his third album, that he became more comfortable with who he really was and how he wanted to present himself. His fans long knew he was gay, but he started to embrace it more, showing up to events in more flamboyant, gender fluid outfits. His songs became more vulnerable and spoke of his relationships and sexuality. But it’s still a journey. Speaking of his confidence and how he presents himself he said, “I have to get comfortable with the fact that I am kind of effeminate sometimes – or really effeminate sometimes...That I want to paint my nails. Overcoming all those stupid rules that society embeds in you as a kid about gender and sexuality is a conscious task.”

JADEN SMITH

It’s safe to say Jaden Smith is the son of one of the most famous men in the world. But, Will Smith aside, Jaden has very much established a name for himself, through his acting, singing, activsim and way of expression. Jaden is known to challenge gender norms by mixing masculine and feminine aesthetics and has since become an LGBTQ+ icon. In 2016, Jaden appeared in a campaign for Louis Vuitton wearing a pleated leather skirt and a cropped top, and it was the start of many public appearances where he wore clothing which most people think of as ‘feminie’. And of course, this started many conversations about whether or not it was ‘right’. But Jaden held his own, and has said, “I feel like people are kind of confused about gender norms. I feel like people don’t really get it...I’m not saying that I get it, I’m just saying that I’ve never seen any distinction. I don’t see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people.” This comfort in his own self even led to him creating his own gender-fluid clothing line, MSFTSrep, which he’s said is “for the girl that wants to be a tomboy or the boy that wants to wear a skirt, and people try to condemn.”