Perth Voice Interactive

David Dyke, 80, shares his idea of positive masculinity.

MOST of us have experienced the corrupted energy of noxious masculinity in some way a shape or form in our lives – even if ultra fine or obvious, personal or secondary – that social distortion that tells us a man must be strong, hard, and play to win, that boys don’t cry, and acting tough is being a man.

As we grow, exposure to this noxious masculinity may lead us into an unhealthy relationship with the masculine, and can often leave us denouncing and turning away from the truer expressions of positive masculinity. 

The positive masculine is not concerned with power, possession or aggressive expression of strength.

The positive masculine is the expression of spiritual energy that is concerned with doing, feeling, and being connected.

It is action-driven, embracing both challenge, responsibility, opportunity, and accountability.

It is strong and grounded, yet also compassionate and vulnerable.

It is steadfast and committed, yet flexible when required. 

Most importantly it does not seek to dominate, control, or possess.

My aim is to have these workshops with deep respect and humility for the unique balance of masculine and feminine energy that is held within each and every one of us.

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MEN’S health advocate David Dyke is urging local men to nurture their “positive masculinity” and embrace compassion and vulnerability, before old ideas of manhood put their health and life at risk.

Recently Mr Dyke secured a grant to help bring men’s workshops to Perth, hosted in June by Bayswater council and run by facilitators from healthy blokes company “Tomorrow Man”. 

At this week’s Bayswater AGM Mr Dyke implored the council to continue these kinds of events and put together a formal ‘men’s health and wellbeing plan’.

“The number one killer of men in Australia is heart disease, followed by suicide,” Mr Dyke said. 

“Men can take preventative action to lessen their risk.”

He noted federal and state grants for men’s health and wellbeing would soon be available, and his motion was supported with a vote from the floor. 

Mr Dyke, 80, was recognised as Bayswater’s senior citizen of the year in 2020 for his work in local wetlands, tackling weeds and replanting native species with the Bardon Park Malgamongup Friends Group. He’s also the state’s most active frog call counter, tracking their calls for the Australian Museum’s FrogID conservation effort, and is known for giving emotional speeches at council chambers across Perth calling for laws to protect wildlife from roaming cats.

He tells us these efforts are driven “deep in my core” by his concept of compassionate positive masculinity, a path he started down some 30 years ago.

“Once I got separated and divorced, I posed the question to myself, ‘Who the hell am I?’” Mr Dyke tells us.

“I didn’t really know who I was anymore.

Compassionate

“So I went down the pathway of personal development, and being involved in men’s groups, the WA Men’s Gathering, all sorts of different things where I delved deeper into myself to the person I want to be.”

He said at the first Tomorrow Man workshop, about 45 men came along and it was heartening to see them gradually open up. 

Along with more men’s workshops, he proposed there could also be workshops for women to understand men and men to understand women.

Bayswater’s councillors will now formally consider implementing a men’s health and wellbeing plan at an upcoming meeting.

by DAVID BELL