At this time in society, we are experiencing an amazing surge of feminism in young people. Prioritizing the fight for equality is a huge milestone for women, but what is often forgotten is this is a huge milestone for men too. It is important to remember feminism is simply equality, and even though the focus is often on equality for women, there is still work that needs to be done to rid society of destructive male gender stereotypes as well. Of course, to highlight the need for equality for men in certain situations is in no way a means of discrediting or ignoring the work that needs to be done to obliviate painful female gender stereotypes, it is simply a subject I feel is not mentioned enough. So, here's some of the ways gender stereotypes hurt men, too, because we don't talk about it enough.

1. Men are forbidden to show emotion.

There is a huge stereotype still instilled into society that tells men they have to be tough and often even apathetic. It is taboo for a man to cry or vocalize his unhappiness in any way. I know plenty of women who have found a guy unattractive or even broken up with a boyfriend because he was too emotional or cried too much. Personally, I cry about three times a week, and I don't see how there is anything wrong with that, so why should there be anything wrong with a guy crying that much? There shouldn't be. So, in the future, let's work to be a support system for men, not a vessel for criticism.

2. Men must "make the moves" in a relationship.

This is a point that is often viewed as oppressive for women, since it is still considered somewhat inappropriate for a girl to ask a guy out (or anything along those lines), but how often do we consider how awful this pressure is for the guys? I have a hard time even approaching someone I think is attractive to talk to them, I can't even imagine how stressful it would be to ask someone out on a date, ask them to be my boyfriend or girlfriend, or even just ask them for their number. Plus, what if the guy is shy? Is he just going to have to go through life with no romantic entanglements because he does not have the nerve to say anything? It's definitely something to think about next time you see a hot, quiet guy at a party.

3. Men need to be tall.

This is one that has been extremely prominent the last few years. Women are constantly saying things along the lines of, "if you're under six feet, don't even talk to me." While this is no where near as oppressive as the body shaming some women experience, it is definitely oppressive. Believe it or not, men actually have no control over their height, and there is no correlation between height and personality. So next time you see a shorter guy, remember there is no reason you shouldn't respect him as much as a taller guy.

4. Men need to be strong.

This one is similar to #3, but I feel it should be highlighted separately. Since the beginning of time, there has been this idea that men are meant to be strong. Back in the day, it made a lot of sense that people needed to be strong, because a lot of labor was manual and the measure of success was physical. Unfortunately, in a society that no longer utilizes physical strength as a necessary means of survival, this stereotype has still stood the test of time. Men are often made fun of for being "scrawny" or "noodle-y," but everyone has their priorities and for certain guys, hitting the gym and pumping iron isn't one of them. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own personal preference, and if you're a gal who likes her guys beefy, good for you, but don't bring guys down who don't meet your criteria.

5. Men must be romantic.

This is one I really noticed over Valentine's Day last weekend. Woman have this idea that boyfriends or husbands are there to sweep them off their feet, and although that's a nice idea and some guys succeed, it is relatively unattainable. The fact of the matter is, men are just human; they cannot read women's minds and they will let you down sometimes when it comes to the lovey-dovey stuff. We see all these romance movies where men go the extra mile to make women happy, but we need to remember they're just characters in movies, not real people, and we need to give our guys a break.

6. Men can't be abused.

This is one that is seen less often but still extremely important. Domestic violence occurs all the time, and women are certainly not the only ones affected by it. In our society, we are appalled by the idea of women being abused by men, but seem to be amused by the idea of men being abused by women. Furthermore, there are nearly no organizations that help men in abusive relationships, even though there are tons that help abused women. The idea that men can't be victims of domestic violence or domestic violence against men is somehow less serious than domestic violence against women is one we need to throw in the trash, like, now.