By J1 Reporter Ella Meis

Stop telling boys to “man up” or “real men don’t cry.” These phrases may seem harmless, however, they are extremely misogynistic and sexist. Not to mention, these phrases are the root issue to why boys have a hard time expressing their emotions.

Boys should be told that it’s alright to cry and communicate their feelings rather than bottling them up until they explode. I am tired of seeing boys being called “girly” for communicating their feelings and taking that as an insult. Crying and expressing oneself is normal for a human being to do.

When I was little, people would often say “you run like a girl.” Is that supposed to be an insult? I mean I AM a girl. That doesn’t seem to make sense. These phrases don’t seem to be doing anything accept pushing gender roles onto everyone. It is 2019 people! Equality amongst genders will not be accomplished if we continue to use out-of-date phrases that, are in fact, based on the male gender being superior and the female gender being considered “weak.”

It would be more effective if we replaced these sayings by communicating with one another about our feelings and dealing with them head on, rather than disregarding them. Stop making people feel uncomfortable in their own skin by using these phrases.