Masculinity is Our Deadly Weapon

I have read many articles addressing what is happening in our country—particularly regarding our current administration and the acts of terrorism being inflicted on communities. Many of these articles attempt to explain that the events unfolding today are connected to the economy, political affiliations like Republicans and Democrats, and, of course, the long legacy of colonialism and the enslavement of African people. However, I can’t help but notice that very few mention the one common denominator tying all these factors together—masculinity.

Feminist scholars have long pointed out the harm masculinity has caused to the well-being (or lack thereof) of this country. As a feminist of color, I want to stand firmly on that idea and continue to amplify this message. I refuse to fail our feminist predecessors by not raising the red flag and bringing attention to the fact that our deadliest weapon is masculinity. Masculinity is the bullet, the gas bomb, and the suppression of safety that we are witnessing across the nation today—and historically, of course.

The murder of Alex Pretti, who was killed while intervening to protect two women, made me reflect deeply on the masculinity fueling the formation of ICE and the terrorism it perpetuates. I want to be clear: I am not describing toxic masculinity as the deadly weapon, because that phrase implies that its opposite—“non-toxic masculinity”—is somehow acceptable or desirable. Even within “non-toxic masculinity,” the power and dominance of masculinity remain embedded. Outside of individual acts of compassion, such as Alex Pretti’s act of using his body to protect others, masculinity continues to hold systemic power—and that is precisely what ICE agents are weaponizing.

The majority of these agents—these gang members, as I call them—are men who flaunt their “strength,” “patriotism,” “rationality,” and “loyalty,” all symptoms of a masculine way of thinking. They believe that acting strong and loyal to this country makes them better men. They see themselves as protectors, like fathers safeguarding their families, and as defenders of the values that will “make America great again.” Similarly, Charlie Kirk adopted this patriarchal role by promoting values that uphold America’s supposed greatness at the expense of people of color, queer people, poor people, and women. He wields violence not through physical weapons but through his words. We continue to see men enact masculinity in the name of patriotism and nationalism—systems built upon patriarchy and masculine ideals defining what it means to “be a man.” These are the deadly weapons we are forced to confront.

The tricky thing about masculinity is that many men assume it is “one size fits all,” but it is not. During the second Trump election, we witnessed a significant number of brown men show up to vote for the president we have now. These men naively believed that this version of masculinity would include them—but it does not. They clung to patriarchal values and voted against their own interests rather than support a woman president. Where is their promised masculinity now? Perhaps it’s locked safely away in a cage inside a deportation center.

We cannot separate race and gender when examining how patriarchy functions, because it requires both categories to sustain itself. This is why patriarchy also depends on women. As Gerda Lerner noted, “The system of patriarchy can function only with the cooperation of women,” and Kristi Noem is one example. You do not have to be someone assigned male at birth to participate in this system. Noem has advanced this masculine agenda by inciting violence, suppression, and abuse of power. Like many brown men, she naively believes she is welcome in the boys’ club—but she is not, and never will be.

Lastly, class and capitalism also reinforce patriarchy and masculinity’s grip on power, as people of status often uphold the same system. We see it across many areas of society—and the music and entertainment industries are no exceptions. For example, artists such as Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and Nicky Jam have participated in this very system, mistakenly believing it benefits them. Race, class, gender, and other intersecting systems all reveal how masculinity and patriarchy serve as our most dangerous weapons. We cannot ignore this truth, because that is how masculinity maintains its power.

We need awareness and collective attention on how masculinity fuels the violence we are witnessing—not just in the U.S., but around the world. Masculinity has been, and continues to be, a weapon of mass destruction. We cannot afford to, nor should we want to, allow it to infiltrate our sense of being, our homes, our communities, our country, or our world. Horrific events continue to unfold across the globe, and I refuse to ignore the invisible, normalized, and taken-for-granted force that is masculinity—our most deadly weapon, one that must be recognized.