Covid and Gender

Whenever I think of a real man, always the first thing that comes to mind is a buff, muscular dude with facial hair. Although I know in my head that one doesn’t have to be a real man and look like this, it’s just what comes to mind first, someone who is overly masculine. Once I get this thought out of my head, I begin to think of my own interpretation of what a real man is. The first real person that comes to mind is my boyfriend. My boyfriend is one of the best men I have interacted with. He is a feminist, and believes in equality for all. He doesn’t care about womanly hygiene, and actually prefers for me to tell him what goes on in my body so he can help in the best way possible. I believe all men should behave like this, as whatever troubles women go through in their life should be supported in any way. Men not acting like this is another sign of misogyny, and believing that the perfectly clean, tiny, womanly frame is enough and any actual bodily functions is wronged by women. Another definition of a “real man” often stems from transphobia as well, in which a “real man” wouldn’t be of an AFAB transitioning into a male. This is false, as scientific studies have proven, that dysphoria is a real thing that happens in the brain, and one’s mind not fitting the body they were born with is real. Trans people are real people, and a trans man is a real man, while a trans woman isn't.