Guy-entine’s Day

Celebrating male friendships instead of subscribing to toxic masculinity

By Marley Richmond

One sweet day in February 2010, the idea of exclusively romantic celebrations of Valentine’s Day came to an end when Leslie Knope of “Parks and Recreation” enlightened us with Galentine’s day. Starting as a TV show plot, Galentine’s Day (February 13) soon became a real-life celebration of platonic love and female friendship. But while Galentine’s Day dismantles the idea that romantic love should be prized above friendship or family, it leaves some people out—individuals that, arguably, need an even greater opportunity to share their love for one another: boys! Introducing, Guyentine’s Day, the celebration of platonic male love that we ALL need. 

When was the last time you told your best friend that you loved them? Maybe recently, or maybe you can’t remember. For many people, especially men, expressing platonic affection can be seen as weak, “unmanly,” and taboo. Toxic masculinity includes this enforcement of restrictive gender roles—praising stoicism and anger in men—and is closely linked with misogyny and homophobia. It can also contribute to rates of domestic and sexual abuse. The American Psychological Association links such a mentality with mental and physical health risks and lower rates of men seeking psychiatric help compared to women. Making space for men to share their emotions is one way to fight back against a gender-biased system leading to such risks.

While Guyentine’s Day can hardly dismantle an oppressive system by itself, promoting male friendship and expressions of positive emotions are an essential part of creating true gender equity. As the celebration of women supporting women becomes more popular, opportunities to advocate for emotional vulnerability and expressions of platonic love between men are just as important! It’s about time that we have a Guyentine’s Day too, so boys can celebrate their love for all their buddies, mates, or bros without any stigma. So get together the guys, celebrate your friendships, and tell your friends you love them.