I felt like that was a true marker

of what it meant to be a man.

In part, probably 'cause my dad had a beard.

And aren't we all just trying to be our dads?

Growing up, you always like question your masculinity.

I've definitely questioned my gender before.

I've always felt like a man,

but not sure if I've always been like a manly man.

I have been made to feel less than a man

for a good chunk of my life.

I started really questioning whether I was or not.

I tried fantasy football.

I'm bad at it, I hate it,

but I felt like if I didn't participate

in my school's fantasy football group,

that I wasn't a dude.

I had this pink salmon lunchbox that I really liked.

I was made fun of it.

Both boys and girls told me that I shouldn't have that,

and so, that was the last time I ever used that lunchbox.

My girlfriend's dad said I wasn't a real man.

When he said that, he was referring to the fact

that he didn't think that I could be the man of the house

if I were to marry his daughter.

You know it's those microaggressions and macroaggressions

that constantly wear at you, that start making you question

your right to be called a man.

Different points of my life, I've been self-conscious

of aspects of myself physically

because I felt like it was an indication

that I wasn't man enough.

Growing up a skinny kid, like definitely,

felt a little weaker.

As a short guy, everyone has remarked at how small I am.

I'm kinda skinny and lanky and awkward.

If I could change a part of my body,

I'd definitely add some muscle mass.

Because muscles make a man.

A muscular man with a six pack is an ideal.

My physical form, I've worked really hard

for it to look this way.

Getting stronger is amazing.

The muscles starting to form.

The look, the confidence.

A real man, I guess, is anyone that identifies as a man

that is not imaginary.

If you take away all these societal expectations.

Protects women.

Take up a lot of space.

Needs to be tough.

Can't cry.

Cannot be gay.

You really don't have anything else

besides just someone that identifies as a guy.

Because when we think too polemically about what makes a man or what makes a woman, we erase all of the like giant space of what makes a person.