Terry Crews Says Toxic Masculinity Is a 'Cult': Men 'Need Deprogramming'

This is an incredibly moving and important article. Every time another human being steps up to courageously reveal more of the shadow side of our culture, I am grateful!! A shift is happening from Dominator culture to one of Partnership! Deep gratitude. 🙏 Molly

 By Abby Haglage

Terry Crews may be making big moves as the newest host of America’s Got Talent, but the actor and activist is still committed to stemming the tide of toxic masculinity. Ahead of a powerful speech at the 2019 Makers Conference on Friday, the 50-year-old former NFL linebacker sat down with Yahoo Lifestyle to talk about what it’s like to be one of the most public-facing male survivors in this movement.

“It feels scary, there’s no other way to really describe,” Crews tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I’ve had a lot of men who are very, very angry.” Crews initially went public with his own #MeToo story in 2017 and has since remained a public face of the movement, even testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2018. But he says his message — that men need to look inward — has infuriated some males.

“They’re angry at me because I’ve changed the narrative. The only way I can describe it is that there’s a movie that everybody’s playing in their head and the movie doesn’t end up the way they want it,” he says. “They’re like, ‘Wait a minute, you’re supposed to beat up everybody you’re supposed to get revenge and everybody is supposed to ride off on their horse. And I’m like, nope. In fact, I’m a survivor, and the truth is sometimes you don’t get justice. You get freedom, that’s the difference.”

“Survivor” is a title that Crews began identifying with after coming forward with assault allegations on Twitter. “This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD,” Crews tweeted on Oct. 10, 2017, five days after the New York Times published an explosive report (suggesting that Weinstein “paid off” his victims). “Why?” Crews continued. “Because this kind of thing happened to ME.”

To continue this article, or to watch the video, please go here: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/terry-crews-says-toxic-masculinity-cult-men-need-de-programming-150543267.html?fbclid=IwAR3rUkiMmFsFtQyxTVsBL9LjMg3pqHV7Ba9qwckz9x2qmLVIjHyUtMLAWUs