I remember the first time I felt truly seen and heard by a friend. She listened to me without judgment, without interruption. She validated my feelings, even when she didn’t understand them. And in that moment, I felt like I could breathe again. I felt like I was home.
At the very root of this vague and incorrect notion that either Respect or Love should be served based on gender is sexism. Men are conditioned to suppress their human emotions, the need to be cared for, listened to -but to aspire to Hardness, violence, and toxicity.
