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While the word “sissy” may have several different meanings and connotations, the context in which Trump used the term on Truth Social mirrors a long history of the word being used in a derogatory way, explained Deepak Sarma, inaugural distinguished scholar in the public humanities at Case Western Reserve University.
“Trump’s comments are reflective of [a] flourishing culture of toxic masculinity, where negative and simplistic gender stereotypes are being flaunted, encouraged and deployed,” they told HuffPost.
“The term ‘Sissy’ is and has been used in a derogatory fashion to belittle men who do not fit the ideal of hyper-masculinity and who might even have a proclivity towards characteristics typically (and stereotypically) associated with women,” they continued. “As a result, he insults both men who do not fit this imaginary model and women, viewed as weak, timid, and oversensitive.”