The American election highlighted ongoing tensions between men and women — but election commentary often failed to acknowledge the crises that modern men are facing, from declining educational achievement and employment to increased suicides, overdoses, and loneliness. Today at Lean Out, we kick off a series exploring these issues, with a guest who’s recently published a powerful essay highlighting why we need to reconsider how we think and talk about men.

Zaid Jilani is the freelance American journalist behind the Substack newsletter The American Saga. His recent essay is titled “Democrats Need to Realize It’s Not Always Easy To Be a Man.”

This series is dedicated to Marc Antoine Jubinville. May he rest in peace.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com