You Are Not Manly

Unfiltered takedown of masculinity and cowardly scapegoating in American culture. It calls out those who claim to be “tough” or “manly” while targeting marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community and government workers instead of standing up for justice. The central message: true strength isn’t about dominance—it’s about defending the vulnerable and calling out real power structures.
Life
Politics
Author

Mark

Published

March 30, 2025

You Call That Manly?

Stop being a pansy.

You think you’re tough. You think you’re some Mr. Tough Guy—manly, rugged, solid. But you can’t even stand up for people who are getting steamrolled by society. That’s not manly. That’s pathetic.

Let’s call it what it is: cowardice. Hiding behind laws and performative outrage, acting like you’re some protector of tradition when all you’re doing is punching down. That’s not masculinity. That’s aesthetic. That’s surface-level performance.

Let’s talk straight. We—and I mean We, as in Americans—have been using trans people, LGBTQ+ folks, and anyone outside the box as scapegoats for our own insecurity. Why? Because you’re not confident in your own manhood? Because it somehow bothers you when someone else lives a life that doesn’t look like yours?

Are you really that fragile?

What are you worried about? That being gay or trans is contagious? That your kid might catch it? That maybe, just maybe, your bloodline is so weak, it can’t handle exposure to the real world without crumbling into glitter?

If that’s the case, guess what? You’re not a fucking man to begin with.

You want to be manly? Stand up. Stand up for the people getting kicked around, not the ones doing the kicking. Stop hiding behind laws that target people who already have to fight every damn day to exist. That’s not toughness. That’s cruelty.

What’s so terrifying about someone identifying as nonbinary? What’s so threatening about someone living their truth? Why does that shake you? Does it make you uncomfortable because deep down, you know you’re the weak one? The snowflake?

Real strength means defending people, not fearing them. Real strength means leadership, and yeah—I’m using the word manly here, not because it’s about men, but because the people I’m speaking to need to hear it in a language they understand.

And if that makes you squirm? Good. Maybe you needed to squirm a little.

Let’s talk bathrooms. Oh boy. The bathroom panic. I’m 43. I’ve talked to plenty of people around my age and older. You know what I ask? “In your entire life, have you ever been in a bathroom where a trans person tried to mess with you?” And the answer, 100% of the time?

No. Never. Not once. Not one damn story.

So what are we doing? We’re passing laws over fictional problems. We’re turning imaginary threats into political campaigns. We’re running on hatred. Hatred. That’s all you’ve got?

Sports

And while we’re at it—sports. Another scapegoat. “Trans women are ruining women’s sports!” Really? Name a single athlete. Name one swimmer, one runner, one fighter. You can’t. You don’t even watch the sports you’re pretending to care about.

This isn’t about fairness in sports. It’s about power. It’s about control. It’s about feeding your fragile ego by picking a target you think won’t fight back.

But they are fighting back. And they will win. And if you had a shred of real courage, you’d fight with them.

Federal Workers

Now, let’s pivot to another favorite punching bag: the federal workforce.

Yeah, I work in the federal space. And I’ve heard it all. “Lazy government workers.” “Bureaucrats ruining the country.” You know what I call that?

More scapegoating.

You’re mad because you hate your job or didn’t get the one you wanted? That’s not the fault of some GS-9 processing paperwork. If you want to rage, rage at the top. Rage at Congress. Rage at the elected leaders—the ones you put there—who sit on their hands while feeding you culture war scraps.

You’re mad at lazy workers? Fine. Then be mad at the lazy managers who won’t do the work to fire them. Be mad at leadership that protects incompetence while underpaying the people actually doing the job. Be mad at broken systems. But don’t come crying about the workforce while you’re voting in clowns and lobbyist puppets every cycle.

Now Do Something

We don’t need more hate. We need more guts.

So grow a pair.

Be manly—if you insist on using that word—by showing strength where it matters: in defending the people getting hurt, not the ones doing the hurting. In calling out the real problems: inequality, corporate greed, political rot.

This country was built on the backs of people who stood up. Not cowards hiding behind bathroom bills and school board rants.

You want to be brave? Then stand the fuck up.