[upbeat intro music]
Chase: Hey guys! It's me, Chasey-poo.
Today I am doing a funny video cause I'm wearing pink,
and the background is purple-y pink.
And you saw the title, today is a video that's weird.
'Why would Chase Ross make this video?"
It's okay to be masculine.
Oh shit.
"What is that concept?"
I made a video about, a year ago, where I talk about
how it's okay, as trans men, to embrace you femininity.
And to show the world that
you are you. And to not give a damn about what anyone
else says. And I am like this.
I've been like this forever,
...ehh I mean in the beginning of my transition I was like
overcompensating that masculinity, because I wanted
to pass. But,
After I realized that like, people are dumb,
and like,
they really, they- all they care about is all these like
stereotypes. And I started to get facial hair and stuff
like that. I realized
I can be whoever I am, and it really doesn't matter
anymore. Because I don't care what people think.
Umm
And I did have the privilege to be able to transition,
and do that. I am definitely aware and
and acknowledge that.
Umm
But basically, it's the concept that it's okay to wear pink
and it's okay to talk with your hands,
yo, I talk with my hands all the time.
If you go to my videos and you look at the comments
people are like: "Why did you transition
to be a gay man?" What? What?
(sigh) These people are really confused about
what's going on, because I don't identify
as gay. I'm queer, get it right.
Anyways, so today´s topic I´m going to be talking
about how it's okay to be masculine.
because I feel like in this community
we have this like obsession with more
recently, um, I've noticed online especially
Facebook and Tumblr we have this
obsession to bring out the voices of
people who are, um, more feminine which
I know is contradicting everything that
you think that you know about this
community. And I'll tell you why.
If you look at the media and the trans men who
are the most popular, they are, like the
reek of masculinity. That's not a bad
thing. I'm just telling you like they are
super masculine, they go to the gym, they
work out, they have wives, they have
girlfriends, they - they're very, um, confident
and they they have all of these dominant
roles that are
very masculine, you know, what society deems as
masculine. I'm not saying that's bad, I´m telling
you like that's how... that´s what it is. Look at
Aydian. Like I'm not calling him out or
anything, but like: masculinity
right there and he's very popular and a lot of
people know who he is. (sniff) Again not saying
that's a bad thing, but if you look on
these groups on Facebook, it seems that a
lot more people are finally embracing
their femininity and that's fantastic
and I'm so happy to see that and people
are telling people it's okay that you
can wear nail polish and makeup and if
you want to wear dresses, do whatever you
want. It's your... it's your life, it´s your
transition, doesn't affect anyone else.
And, I think that that is really great and
we're like to changing the way people
see gender, especially in this community.
But what I've noticed is like the shift
from everyone making sure that they're
paying attention to masculine folk and that's
the ideal masculine trans male body has
like shifted to everyone needs to be
feminine and okay to embrace femininity
and then it looks like everyone who's
masculine is a bad thing and I will not
lie, I definitely have this thought in my
head where masculinity to me is equated
with bad and like anyone who is masculine
or has masculine features, like, not like
physically, but like in their demeanor,
in their roles and stuff like that is.. is a negative
connotation and I think that there's no
medium: it's like all the way that way
are all the way that way. So, this video
is about how it's okay to be masculine
but there's a line and the line right
here is toxic masculinity and trans men
seem to... (woop) flip over that line like
that and that's the problem with
masculinity in this community and I
think why a lot of people are who are
embracing their feminine side or people
who are just maybe more neutral
because not everyone is super masculine
super feminine. Um, but people who are maybe
more neutral can kind of like "Oh yeah, I
totally understand the feminine part
f*ck all the masculine trans guys" and
I think that the reason is because that
line of toxic masculinity is very easily
skipped over and it's like there's not
even a barrier, there is no wall, it´s like
you're just walking into it when you
transition and I think that the reason
why people do that is because they're
overcompensating their masculinity
because they want to pass as male
that's who they are in society, which I
completely understand. I definitely
overcompensated my masculinity
pretended like I... I did like rant and I
like did all these masculine things, but
I really didn't. um (laughs)
But the concept of toxic masculinity is... I'm going to... I'm
going to say right now that it's rooted
in misogyny and go ahead and call me a
feminist and close this video and give
me the middle finger and comment some
hate. But, whatever. Trans men that I've
seen... I´m... Im focusing more on trans men
right now being okay to be masculine, ´cause
that´s the plan of this video, but yo yo
trans men are some of the most
misogynistic people I've ever seen and
I'm not like saying, all, "not all trans men".
I´m not saying that.
I´m just saying that that line of toxic masculinity is so easily skipped over, that
in order to be seen as male, and seen as male in society, and by people around you,
and your family and your friends and your peers and the people that you work with
you need to be misogynistic. (sniff)
And, some people don't even realize that they're doing it
but the second that you're saying like, "Oh, these bitches,"
And you're using derogatory terms towards women,
and you're saying that women are only sexual objects,
and all of these little things that I keep seeing on all these little groups.
And even my friends have said things, where like, "Ah, we should just go like fuck that girl,"
Ummm... There's a nicer way to say that. "Oh look, she's very pretty," like...(laughs)
There's no way that you need to be so vulgar, and treat this person like an object,
and like she is put on this planet and, like, walking around to please you,
and to make sure that you look at her so that you can come over and (snaps) fuck her, like...
That's not how that works.
And this line of misogyny is, is like, almost non-existent to a lot of people
and they don't realize it's there, and they don't realize that they're crossing it.
And I think that we need to undo that, and the way to do that is to set that line.
And to tell people, and to let people understand that the things that they're saying, is ACTUALLY extremely rude.
And sometimes I look at the things that people say and I think, "how can you say this?"
I'm not saying like, "You used to be a woman," but like...
...for a time you probably passed as female in society, and probably had to go through
men saying things like that to you.
How can you ... turn it around?
Even if you didn't identify as female. Like, how can you just say the things that people said to you?
And how can you do that if you have people in your family who are female?
Like, your sister, or your mom, or your aunt, or your granny?
People that you love. And yet you are still saying these derogatory things about women.
because you're trying to ... maybe get approval from. from people.
And, you might not even know you're doing it. That's the thing.
And I, I think that my video might be seen maybe as a little angry, or I'm going to get hate for this,
but, I really do feel like people don't realize what they're doing sometimes.
And, not that "that's okay", but it's more like, we need to help people realize that what they're doing isn't good,
and that there is a type of masculinity that you can be, or, or a type of masculine that you can be,
and you could be who you are. You just don't need to... step over that line.
Literally, I'm standing, I'm not even walking, I'm just moving my hand like that and my FitBit just, just told me
I did ten thousand steps today. I'm literally just using my hands. It knows that I'm a feminine trans guy
and that I use my hands a lot.
Actually, it doesn't know that. 'Cause if it did, it wouldn't have beeped for ten thousand steps when I'm not even moving
Anyways, thanks a lot.
So as someone who is very feminine and embraces their feminine side a lot,
I do believe that I have some masculine traits in me, and that's not a bad thing
And honestly, when I say, like, "feminine and masculine things," I'm not defining those things.
Society is defining those things, and has taught to us since we are little children, and has socialized us
into believing all of these little roles that "men do this, and women do that."
And even if you grew up in a house that all of the roles were all mixed up,
that's great. You still watch T.V. You still watch movies. You still watch your friends. You watched your teachers.
(sniffs)
All of these aspects together formed you into the person that you are.
And formed ME into the person that I am. And to be able to embrace my feminine side is absolutely amazing.
I definitely feel way more feminine than I am masculine.
I feel like, visually I am very masculine.
Umm, like my face. I have a beard. I have a deep voice. I appear male.
Umm, but my mannerisms are very feminine. And, that's okay.
And, it's also okay if you look very male, very masculine: beard, deep voice.
And you also wear, and you also, like, the way that you act with your body,
is very masculine. Like, let's say, Aydian Dowling. I'm just going to use him as an example.
Like, I don't, like, hate him or anything like that. Like, we're friends, I talk to him all the time.
Like, don't worry! Umm, but, see, it's okay. The type of masculine that he is
is... it's... I mean, he does promote, like, body building and stuff like that and I guess that could be constrict-
constricting for some people who like, don't see that as the ideal trans-body, or male body
and I completely understand that. And it sucks that he is, like, the only person that's kind of like
up there and has, like, all of this spotlight, and we don't have other people who are in there
who are maybe not as muscular, or, umm, maybe not as white. Umm, like, to add that to the mix
So that people can see that there are different representations and see themselves
in people who are higher up and more famous, I guess.
Umm, and maybe less masculine.
Or, even more masculine. Who knows. Who knows.
I, like, feel like I'm contradicting myself. But, that type of masculinity is great,
and it's fine because you're respecting the people around you.
You're respecting yourself. You're respecting men, and you're also respecting women.
Which is ... absolutely important - and people who are non-binary, let me put that in there
just so you don't feel included, absolutely I am including you in this.
Um... (sigh)
This is this line
And, like, this video
I feel like it's going all over the place
right now, let me just, let me just... (breath) for
one second. I think that I'm going on a
socy rant right now I am, I am
I don't like saying I'm a sociologist, but
I did my degree in sociology and I'm
doing my Masters in sociology right now
so I guess you can... whatever, doesn't
matter. But I tend to analyze and
overanalyze things and sometimes I feel
like I go overboard, but this is
something I've been thinking about for
such a long time. About how we, we in
society, in the trans community
specifically, we kind of put down
masculinity so much now. And, like I'm
part of that. I definitely put down masculinity
I'm not gonna lie
like you, you've seen my post, like I'm not
gonna lie. (sniff) But I put down masculinity that
I feel like is toxic, um, for our
community and for other people to see
and I definitely wish that those
collages of "Oh, look all these trans guys
you wouldn't even know that they were
trans" or "You wish you could fuck a
trans guy"... they're all white, all the time,
they're all very muscular. And I'm not
saying that that's toxic masculinity, but
I'm saying that that type of masculinity
and that type of masculine image that is
projected onto the trans community as if
everyone looks like that is toxic, but
it's not toxic masculinity. I think
that the point of toxic masculinity is
that you're degrading people and you're
putting yourself higher up and maybe i'm
just I'm just talking about one little
layer of toxic masculinity and which is
rooted in misogyny and misogynistic
thinking, um, even if a person doesn't know
but I feel like a lot of people actually
know... But that's for another video (sniff)
And maybe there are different layers of
toxic masculinity that you would like me
to talk about and you could put that in
the comments. I would absolutely love to
do that, because it's something that
I really enjoy talking about topics that
are difficult to talk about, because it
really helps me, like, really dig inside
my brain and analyze different things in
different aspects of my life and how I
interpreted situations like that and I
feel like maybe talking about this it
could help you maybe think of things
differently and maybe you realize that
some of the things that you have done
have been toxic and I feel like I
definitely have done things that have
been rooted in misogyny without even
realizing it and now that I reflect on
my life and the things that I've done I
am a way different person than I was six
years ago compared to today and when I
look back at the six-year-old I'm like
"Oh"... six year old me, no, like, 16 years ago me, um...
is definitely very problematic. I will
say that. Very problematic and I didn't
even know it. So maybe it takes somebody
to just be like "Hey...", like I'm not saying
you´re misogynistic, I'm not saying you
you have toxic masculininty that runs
through your blood. I´m just saying: Hey, just
watch out, for one second, calm down, relax,
just think, think about things in your life,
just do a little wheel right there, just
do a little "Oh shit, maybe I did do
something" or maybe be aware of
toxic masculinity around you. When people
around me say things that are extremely
derogatory towards
women I can't... I can't do it. I don't even
care if I'm at work. I literally don't
care. I will get fired I don't care and I
have the privilege to be able to do that
I know, because I am able to make money
off of different platforms like YouTube
and the TA position that I have. So, yes,
I understand this privilege that I have
but for me I am ok to risk that on
the line, other people can't. I'm just
saying that this is for me, I know some
people can´t. And I also want to
acknowledge that the point that I'm
talking about and the feminine aspects
that i have, embracing my femininity
and stuff like that, and talking about
this topic, I want people to understand
that I'm not just talking about white
trans guys, okay? That are able to embrace
their femininity. I feel like there are so
many people in this community that don't
get a voice and they're there in groups
and they want to be heard and they're
not heard and it's because they're not
white. And that's super problematic. And
maybe you think that's problematic me
saying that, because you're like "Oh, my
god, white guilt, whatever". It's not white
guilt. It's... Let me use my privilege
that I have to make sure that some of
the voices that want to be heard are
actually heard. So I think that I
absolutely need to acknowledge: I am
white, I have this privilege, I look very
masculine, but I´m also feminine and I am
able to do these things and I'm able to
talk, and I have this platform to talk to
you about this. So I just wanted to talk
about that briefly, I guess. I feel like
that point really didn't kind of like
make sense into this video, but at this
point I don't feel like this whole video
made any sense. Anyways, let me know what
you think. Please, if you have other
layers of toxic masculinity that you'd
like me to talk about or that you think
anything in this video is problematic.
I would absolutely love to have a
conversation about this in the comments.
Let's do this. I love you so much, have a
great week. Bye!
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