Quote: stripped of masculinity and to be able to feel and be vulnerable
There's a reason I have concerns with this viewpoint. Men get lumped into this "macho" BS. Do a lot behave that way? Yes. Do all? No. Should the ones that don't have to be "stripped" to feel like they can just be themselves without having to be dressed up? What if some men CAN do that without the stripping but think they can't and therefor get "trapped" in Feminization? I think that's something to keep in mind. That people CAN be loved and accepted without having to do that. Even if it feels like they can't. I happen to know a guy with a large number of flaws (who can admit it, fortunately) that dresses up.
I'll repeat what I stated earlier. They often do it to get more attention. But what does this say of their "male" half? The "inadequate" half perhaps?
I see the main issue being females mistrusting the "standard male" (not all of course. But certainty enough). So of course males feel like they might have to change to be accepted. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But what if a fear of being "compared" to macho males drives people in Feminization? That's getting into it for the wrong reasons IMO.
Quote: Society says men have to act a certain way.
This would be the source of my concern. Too many people expect X and Y group to be this or that. Thing is those expectations tend to get shattered. The main issue with society is that the group mentality leads to misplaced mistrust very easily. If someone is "too different" then they get looked down on by "the group". And honestly? That's the way it has to be.
But it's still on X person for falling into the "group trap" and not ACTUALLY being accepted when only the surface is shown. People break down. They cry. They feel. And it's BS that it's compared to women as if only that gender suffers and feels. As if a guy is incapable of being just as "deep" or whatever. In reality both genders make excuses to deny their feelings. Those in denial and making excuses anyway. The ones honest about it can be upfront and make that "connection". Regardless of gender. Anyone that claims "You should or shouldn't because common viewpoint" is actually PRESSURING people into being anything else other then what's expected. I view this as harmful, which is one thing. But I also view it as not even giving people the option. People might not mean to do it but that just makes it worse. Don't be like X. Don't be like Y. Just be you. Otherwise you're trying to "fit in". BEFORE you even accepted yourself. That can easily lead to desperation instead of guanine acceptance.
A man is JUST as vulnerable as a woman. Likewise women will claim to be different then men but are actually more alike then they care to admit (my ex would put any man to shame). People see what they want to see. But I've seen enough of both to know it's dependent on who you ask in the gender itself. X fears Y. Y fears X. Seeing the worst. It's BS. Not everyone has such negative viewpoints of course, but certainty enough to make people feel like they have to be anything else other then what they are. Exploring other things is good. But making people feel like they can't even "exist"? That's bad. Very very bad.
Pinning it on the gender (be it for a positive reason or negative) demeans the gender IMO. Society pretends. But strip away the layers enough and you see the person for who they really are. Not a "man". Not a "woman". But them.
But of course people jump on bandwagons and go with what "same gender here" is doing (or whatever other group). But by making it about the genders isn't that doing exactly what you don't like about society? To "compare and project"? That is of course if the reason for it is to be different then the gender you physically are.
If you're into it for reasons other then that though then the above doesn't stand. But under THOSE conditions it can lead to a lack of "self acceptance". It would also be a mistake to get trapped in a feral form online and hide behind it forgetting your anthro half. But that's another matter. Similar enough for a comparison though. Does the "other half" (the male?) get accepted genially? Or are you shunning it yourself because of the expectations and negative viewpoints of others? Which, naturally, drains confidence within said area.