What does it mean to be a 'good' man? Ben Vasiliou learned the hard way

Australia’s conversation about masculinity is taking center stage through Ben Vasiliou’s new book, Better Man: Reclaiming masculinity for good. The article frames the issue amid a high rate of suicide deaths among men and a broader national crisis of gendered violence, citing that, on average, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 11 days. Online, it says manosphere influencers argue men are failing to thrive due to women’s independence, while promoting extreme “fixes.” Vasiliou, CEO of The Man Cave and author, attributes the harm to “outdated, rigid stereotypes” and “toxic norms” that push men to suppress pain and avoid help. The story also includes Vasiliou’s personal account of shame and despair before coming out as gay in his late 20s, when he was married with two children.