This is what we mean when we say “men.”

If you’re trying to decide if our community is for you, ask yourself,

“Do I get privilege for presenting as male?”  

We define “men” as people who present to the world as masculine and receive privilege because they fit a recognizable mold. When we talk of privilege, we mean the subtle and overt ways that people recognized by society as men are given advantages that are denied to people who aren’t identified as men, including cis women and queer folk.

Privilege is unearned, but it’s not free. It comes at the cost of our inner lives. Men who are steeped in unexamined privilege are stunted in the development of their inner lives. If you were assigned male at birth, you don’t even realize what you’re missing until someone you love or work with points it out. 

We design everything we offer with this in mind.

Our courses and resources are designed to solve the problems that are caused by male privilege. However, they don’t just apply to straight cis-gendered men. The moment society categorizes you as a man, you start to be treated as one, and with that comes the constant temptations to use the privileges afforded to you. Whether you’re straight or not, It’s easy to find yourself using your privilege to get security and affirmation. With those privileges also come the costs: isolation, long-term insecurity, and difficulty naming or understanding needs.

How can we create masculinities are not dependent on privilege on for security and affirmation? The way forward is together. We’re building a community where men of all kinds can be complex and vulnerable so that new ways of being men can be born and developed.

Our great hope is that we can build a community where we can co-create and embody new types of masculinities that will eventually heal and replace the toxic ways of being embodied by normative masculinity. 

Sincerely,

-Argenys Taveras, LMSW, MDiv

Founder and head facilitator of Creative Masculinity