Be A Man
Men are not suppose to wear makeup.
Men are not suppose to wear dresses.
And men are definitely not suppose to date other men.
Most men I know grew up accepting these statements to be true.
So a beautiful and powerful person like my dear friend Micha Edwards might be confusing to men who are still holding on to a boxed-in definition of manhood.
From films and pop culture, to athletes and business icons, as young men we were taught that we needed to toughen up and “grow a pair” to really make it.
We’re also taught that the opposite of being a man is being called a pussy. And that “real men” don’t hold feminine qualities and attributes. Where I grew up, if you called someone a pussy it was almost always followed by violence.
There is a rigid box that defines what makes a man, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE THAT BOX.
You know what else is a rigid box? A prison.
And that’s what it can feel like for anyone that wants to express, explore and expand, but is instead held down and told to stay small and stay quiet.
I’ve put in a lot of work to expanding and stepping outside of this box, because of what my heart could always feel to be true:
What we consider feminine qualities are not the enemy. Men who live outside the boxed-in definition of manhood are just as powerful and necessary.
And most importantly, love is love.
My heart has tremendous capacity and love for incredible humans like Micha.
I see God’s light in him when he expresses his fullness. I feel his power when he sings and dances and especially when he speaks from his heart.
His kindness and compassion for others gives me hope.
I love this man.
He is my brother. He is art.
He is God… and so are you.
