Everywhere around us men are buckling under the pressures of toxic masculinity, and there are dangerous consequences.

According to  a recent study, men who adhere to traditional masculine norms are more likely to struggle with social functioning and mental health issues. And they are less likely to seek help.

The cost: increased violence against others and themselves. Men are 4 times more likely to successfully commit suicide than women, 90% of which are related to mental illness. And as they struggle silently, we all feel the consequences, especially the bodies of difference (women, minorities, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

The proof:  2016 was one of the deadliest years for the LGBTQIA+ community due to hate crimes. Police brutality and frequent violence against black and brown bodies, youth included, has become even more alarming. 1 in 3 (35%) women worldwide have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. And there’s so much more.

But hope and help can be found in an unlikely bedfellow, pun intended.

With 250+ blog posts and interviews,  The Pillow Talk Project (TPTP) is a quickly building social movement sharing the vulnerable stories of men–and those who love them–from all over the country in an effort to rethink masculinity and level the playing field for men and their emotions.

It’s a really bold statement, but I believe we can help lower male suicide rates, violence, and the number of men–and those who love them–who suffer with depression and related mental health issues by attacking the root cause of not only the hateful -isms plaguing us, but the reason men are buckling in the first place: toxic, dangerous, and archaic traditional notions of masculinity that require domination, oppression, and violence to feel whole.

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Instead, through fearless examples and stories of men redefining masculinity on their own terms, we can usher in progressive masculinities rooted in fearless empathy, intimacy, and radical acceptance. And in order to do that we need the power of everyday intimate conversations.

We need a fundamental shift in how we see men and how men see themselves. We are hurting. But no one’s talking. And it’s not because we don’t want to. We aren’t allowed to.

To change this and heal our nation, it’s time to reclaim the kitchen counters, living rooms, patios, and bedrooms, and birth a revolution of intimacy creating safe(r) places for heartfelt conversations and healing between men and those who love them. Only then can we make progress. The kind that positively affects us now and generations of men to come.

With your help, we can create more stories, campaigns, and events that heal men–and those who love them

Our initial goal is 5,000 monthly patrons. So, become a movement-builder by donating as little as $5/month or a one-time donation of any amount.

With these funds, The Pillow Talk Project will be able to support a national movement where each year:

1,000+ lives changed. With 30+ Pillow Talkers being trained in our arts-based, culturally responsive FEEL (Fearless Empathy and Experiential Learning) curriculum, they will be able to host over 100 events around the country, touching the lives of over 1,000 people in the 3-month Pillow Talk Event Series focused on healing through trauma using creative writing, performance, and art-making.

250+ fearless articles and interviews published in multimedia formats, including research, community features, and the Pillow Talk podcast sharing best practices and resources developed with nonprofit organizations, cultural workers, influencers, celebrity experts in trauma work, sexuality, psychology, men’s/women’s/queer studies, gender theory, sociology, etc.

3-5 national marketing campaigns are launched by our Pillow Talk think tank comprised of leading marketers, writers, designers, photographers, and videographers behind to spread awareness and spark critical discussions around key topics The Pillow Talk Project and its movement-builders care about.

Building a movement is far from easy. But with your help, the impossible can become possible. Support us and together, we can prove that everyday intimate conversations can not only help us to redefine masculinity but prove it can heal our men, and heal our world.

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