traditional gender roles create unattainable expectations and ultimately perpetuate harmful behaviors with adults. men, like women, are given mixed messages about what it means to really be a man. they are expected to be strong (physically, mentally and emotionally), natural leaders, sexually promiscuous, dominant, and self-sufficeint. these characteristics that are expected of men create all sorts of insecurity about masculinity especially as they contradict the normal experiences of humans including expressing emotions and wanting to be a part of a community. not only are these roles harmful to men but to women and people of color as well.
Tag: college
the cost of a midori sour
i came to cal poly as a transfer student, already 21 and far removed from underaged party scene. for the past few years in my hometown i was able to use a fake id to hang out at bars with my older friends and coworkers on the weekends. so coming to san luis obispo i felt like i already had a handle on ‘bar culture.’
where do i go from here
a new quarter is upon us and with that the expectation of something new. however, i feel the need to reflect on how my first two quarters at Cal Poly have gone and more specifically how my intimate relationships have been morphed by my move to this new area.
the feminine urge to cry in the engineering bathrooms
“I don’t know, you just give off surfer girl energy. Like, the kinda girl that guys want to be friends with. Ya know, like they wouldn’t want to date you.” He said it as if it was a complement. As if it was everything a girl wants to hear. Oh thank god, I was worried someone in these crazy college years might see me as more than a “bro,” a girl they can hang out with and completely disregard her femininity. He said it as the three of us studied for one of our engineering midterms–me, him (a friend of two years), and my ex boyfriend. They both laughed. I shrugged it off, only to excuse myself to the restroom to wipe away tears.
wait, are you on the pill?
i recently found myself back in the san luis obispo dating scene. as terrifying and tedious as it is, i ended up going on a nice date where we went downtown for a few drinks. we sat there for a few hours and went back to his car.
navigating a college break-up
I met my first love the first day of my freshman year at Cal Poly and it basically fucked up my life until the begining of my junior year. As someone who was always a bit of a late bloomer with a disdain for the romantic world, I was entirely underprepared for what college relationships could look like, and the damage a breakup could do.
lets talk about your first time
“I had a really fun time with you tonight” he says as you're sitting on his bed, knees touching and your heart pounding out of your chest. You’re smiling and giddy with attention. He leans in for the kiss and all you can think is “oh fuck I’ve never sucked a dick before!!”
SLO Dating 