Why these men find the phrase ‘toxic masculinity,’ well, toxic

Ryan Carrillo doesn’t particularly care for the term “toxic masculinity.”

A world-class powerlifter and self-described “big man” with an imposing size and fierce-looking features, he says he has “scared countless children with my presence and garnered stares almost everywhere I go.”

He’s made peace with that, Mr. Carrillo says. He knows he naturally stands out. But his physical presence has always made others look past the kind of person he is – and just assume the worst kinds of masculine stereotypes.

Terms such as “mansplain,” too, are used as political weapons on both sides of the spectrum, he believes, feeding a negative and disempowering cultural narrative from different directions. On the one hand, masculinity is equated with misogyny and oppression. On the other hand, masculinity is reduced to a celebration of strength and power.