Andrew David Alexander

“Growing up I related to characters from Japanese culture, such as video game and anime characters, who were soft-spoken, virtuous, and modest - traits which are seen as feminine in Western culture. Now, as an adult, my influence from Japanese culture continues from following Japanese street style blogs. My interest in eccentric European menswear designers such as Walter van Beirendonck and Bernhard Willhelm has also pushed my ideas of masculinity to new extremes.

On the other hand, most of my cultural influences have been female artists, entertainers, and politicians. Many of them are outspoken, strong-willed, and they push a lot of boundaries. When I was growing up so many of my influences were female musicians, from Spice Girls in the 90s, to Emily Haines and Karen O in the mid-2000s, to Björk and Sia Furler in recent years.

In my personal life, my mum is the most influential woman; she is extremely supportive, understanding, and accepting of my eccentricities. I also had some great female teachers in school who influenced me, encouraging my self-expression and doing their best to help me survive the educational system.

I relate strongly to feminism because I understand oppression, and the fear that comes with being oppressed from the perspective of being a gay man. I recognize the ways in which misogyny affects my life as well as the lives of people of any gender identity. I believe that intersectional feminism is one of the most important movements of our time, but it’s also arguably the most misunderstood.”

“What does it mean to be a modern man? Being true to yourself, regardless of society’s expectations. Fortunately, in western culture people’s differences are becoming more accepted than they ever have been, but we still have a long way to go before those differences are considered equal to the norm.

My biggest piece of advice to anyone growing up today would be that the definition of ‘man’ is not terribly important. Strict definitions of what a man should be cause too much insecurity. I believe that most men don’t actually fit into the expectations society has for them, but they will jump through hoops just to pretend that they do. I think it’s more important to be a good person, which I define as having empathy for those who suffer and the courage to fight against oppression.”