This archive report was first published on 13 January 2020.
As the snow fell quietly in the Massachusetts countryside, a group of men gathered in a chalet, sharing their deepest fears and insecurities in a new kind of support group.
Lucas Krump, a 40-year-old, poured his heart out to the circle of participants, all tired of trying to live up to traditional male stereotypes.
"There were moments this year when I wanted to give up," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
Evryman, a group that helps men shrug off the armour of masculinity to get in touch with their true feelings, has seen a surge in attendance, reflecting a shift in attitudes and increased curiosity about what it means to be male, particularly among US millennials.
Participants share their experiences and take part in group and one-on-one workshops where they learn to deal with feelings of anxiety and anger.
"I grew up in Louisiana where the definition of a man is very narrow. Do you hunt or do you play football? And I didn't do either. I grew up feeling like an outsider," said Ryan Zagone, who has been attending sessions for six months.
"Coming here for the first time gave me role models of other ways to be as a man. How to be emotional in... a way that is powerful, loving, empathetic and at the same time strong," he added.
Evryman was founded in 2016, predating the #MeToo movement ignited by the Harvey Weinstein scandal in late 2017.
Co-founder Dan Doty says its purpose is not to deal directly with "toxic masculinity" but that the issue is never too far away.
"We need to meet men where they are and not come in and say, 'Hey, what you're doing is terrible.'"
Evryman has a network of support groups that gather locally on a regular basis, year-round, which it considers as important as the one-off events.
