As a queer man, Matt had always found the barbershop to be a particularly hyper-masculine space. He’d got on with everyone there, particularly the owner, but he had never felt comfortable enough to truly open up and be himself.

It was to his great surprise, then, that when entering the barbershop one day he was introduced to a new employee: a flamboyant Brazilian, who seemed to embrace all of the aspects of his personality that Matt had striven so hard not to reveal. Had Matt misjudged his need to keep his authentic self hidden? And why had Matt originally found it necessary to mask his own form of masculinity in order to fit into this space?

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Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.

We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Matt. His openness in discussing the challenges he and many in his community face is both enlightening and poignant. It also provides a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world.

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