Thinking about genders and gender norms has changed a lot over time. Whereas in the past it was widely uniformly held that "There are only two genders, the male and the female!", today there are many people who hold a different opinion. They think that it would be a little too short-thought to speak only of "men" and "women"... among other things because there are so many people who, for example, feel they belong neither to one side nor the other... or because they were born as an intersex person.
Whoever speaks of "typical male" in this day and age usually means a person who conforms to the classic cis man. At least externally and in terms of his behavior. Whether a person really feels masculine or not is not necessarily visible to him from the outside.
Unfortunately, many people still have to hide behind a feigned masculinity because they are afraid to stand by their feminine side, for example, or to come out as transsexual or genderfluid.
What is typically male?
What is perceived as "typically" masculine depends, among other things, on the respective time, but also on the norms of society and personal attitudes. For example, many people today perceive it as particularly masculine if their counterpart is strong, has short hair and a beard, speaks in a deep voice and displays a certain protective instinct.
Some even go so far as to emphasize over and over again that a "real man" must be able to fight.
These examples alone already show that "masculine" can be defined differently even within one time period.
However, many individuals, not just queers, find it discriminatory to have their masculinity denied because, for example, they don't fit that mold.
The boundaries between male and female are becoming more fluid in some...
At a time when people are always talking about gender, gender norms and self-identification, it is once again apparent that the boundaries between male and female are becoming increasingly blurred... including in the area of fashion. For a long time now, it has been clear that even those who feel masculine are allowed to wear pink as a matter of course.
Made-up male models with painted fingernails are no longer a rarity on the catwalks of this world. And many men are also discovering their love of more feminine looks these days - without necessarily identifying themselves as the opposite sex. This is a new form of self-confidence that helps numerous people to stand by themselves a little more.
Having to be male can be stressful
The pressure exerted by many parts of society on biologically born men should not be underestimated. Men who cry, dress a little more feminine and/or do not stand out with other particularly "masculine attributes" are often ostracized or declared "whiny".
Above all this is the "ideal of the cis man", which is based on traditional values and is clearly defined accordingly.
Not everyone born male is happy with their body
Some affected people notice it earlier, others later. Now and then, the innate, biological sex characteristics do not match one's own gender identity. This means that a person whose sexual characteristics are male sooner or later realizes that he actually identifies as a woman.
At the same time, there are also people who were born with both male and female sexual characteristics. In short, a clear division into "male" and "female" is no longer possible in this day and age for several reasons. However, this is precisely what offers more and more people the opportunity to identify themselves even better.
Homosexual men can also be very masculine!