It’s not easy to be a man today. And that is not easy to say, considering the complex socio-intellectual climate of our modern age.

Let me be clear, this is by no means intended to ignore or detract from our sisters’ plight, which is to say nothing of those who find themselves adrift between the poles of the gender binary; to oversimplify: that societal line that makes you a ‘girly-girl’, a ‘manly-man’ or an outsider. Since we are all drawn to the ideas and causes that we most closely identify with, I find the opportunity to explore and understand the male identity impossible to ignore.

I find myself adrift in this modern mire of male. I find little kinship in the archetypical ultra-male of the hetero-normative paradigm fame, nothing to identify with in the once-famed metrosexual construct and few similarities with the stereotypical (and often feminized) gay male of Will & Grace fame. So my gender identity is confused at best even though the gender I primarily identify with is relatively decided.

These kinds of musings leave me to ask clichéd, yet fundamental, questions like ‘what kind of man am I?’ or ‘what makes a good man?’ In the end, I find that there are no answers exclusive to gender. A good person is someone who first does no harm. Someone true to their heart and who does not allow themselves to be defined or measured by other people’s rules.

And yet, there is something innately and inarguably unique about being male. Regardless of how you arrive at your male identity, once you get there you know it. But, as it should be becoming apparent, the male identity is fraught with problems. After Original Sin [the Catholic Church traditionally blamed Women for bringing Original Sin into the world], you’re the villain of every story and prime suspect for every crime, sadly not without cause. Upon first inspection, there are few things unique to the male identity that doesn’t inevitably lead back to what I call ‘The problem of Male Evil.’

Still, I can find nothing inherently evil in myself, which fortunately disrupts the inherently evil male concept. The mask of evil I find myself trapped behind shows signs of lifting with this new publication MASC. I find that I am not alone with MASC, and I am surrounded by men that I am proud to call my brothers. This is my first post, the first of many. I am grateful for this opportunity to explore the man behind the mask and explore my true masculinity. I’d like to call on all like-minded men to join us and prove that we are the true male majority; intelligent, introspective, and on your side.

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Matthew is a 3rd-year student currently completing a self-design program in Musicology, with minors in Sexual Diversity Studies (SDS) and East Asian Studies (EAS). He is Chairperson of the SDS Student Union.
Matthew is also Publisher for the newspaper, U of T’s independent community newspaper, which is once again a proud sponsor of the annual SDSSU conference.  With print media, student politics and university academics on his plate, Matthew has realized that sleep is a luxury and insanity is sometimes the only logical choice.
When he is not politicking, publishing, writing, studying or reading, Matthew unwinds with his guitar, tenor sax and comics.