“Dude, he needs to turn in his man card for that.”

How many times have you heard that phrase in the past year or two?

It seems like everywhere I turn, be it on social media or in conversation with friends and co-workers, there’s always some kind of discussion on whether a man is a “man” or not.

There’s always some offending action or deed that leads to such a dissection from other men (and, more commonly, from women) on the validity of someone’s “man card.”

Am I the only one who thinks that a man is someone who has the necessary parts (barring dysmorphia)?

Why is it that men are so quick to deny another his validity?

Wear Lululemon pants? Turn in your man card. Enjoy shopping for clothes? Turn in your man card. Take pride in your appearance? Turn in your man card. Can’t repair an automobile? Turn in your man card. Can’t build a campfire? Turn in your man card.

Believe it or not, guys, times are changing.

For starters, we’re no longer sole breadwinners.

If you pay attention to the stats, more women are out-earning men than ever before, and those numbers likely aren’t going to reverse themselves anytime soon.

That means “women’s work” is now just “work.”

Where women are leaving the kitchen and the laundry room, more and more men are taking up the detergent and the frying pan. The definition of a man is changing from a hyper- macho, post-war ideal into something different, but no less important, than before.
We are still protectors, husbands, boyfriends, friends and fathers.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t cook, clean, work hard, play hard and look damn good doing it.
There’s no reason to be talking smack and running a dude down just because he doesn’t fit your idea of masculinity. Quite honestly, you look afraid, sad and insecure.
Whether you wear Lululemon, Carhartts or Hugo Boss, it’s up to us to look after those around us whether it’s in our family or in our community.

And while gender roles are changing, it doesn’t mean our role is any less diminished.
So celebrate your bros, educate yourself and open your eyes before you get left behind.