Not today, toxic masculinity: This man makes an effort to hold hands at the urinal

Hatred. Poverty. War. All things that are less important than today's #1 issue — toxic masculinity. Aka the cultural practice of men repressing their feelings and submitting to harmful societal norms in order to be "man enough." Well, Ken Meyers is a big, strong man — a man who holds hands with strangers at urinals.

"It's usually more of a grab than a natural meeting of hands, but once they look into my eyes, the men tend to give in," said Meyers. "At first I was worried that it was because they're scared of my shaky lip and lazy eyes and don't want to upset me, but then I realized that I'm not giving myself enough credit. I am beautiful, darn it."

There's no rhyme or reason to which establishments are best for urinal affection. In the mind of the bushy-bearded man, there's no bad time to make a connection.

"I've done it all! Bars, movie theaters, trampoline parks, weddings that I wasn't even invited to — I rarely leave a location without popping by the gentlemen's room for a lil' drain 'n grab. Even at work," said Meyers.

It's true — the 58-year-old gravedigger doesn't neglect his commitments on the job. In fact, he's often responsible for the last time a human body experiences a loving touch.

"Usually you're supposed to dig the graves before the funeral, but sometimes schedules don't align that way. My Wednesday nights playing bingo in an abandoned laundromat that's also a DIY music venue and rodent rehab center are very important to me," said Meyers. "I love my job, but I need time to do my thing. So sometimes they just leave their papaw there for me after the funeral and, when I need to spring a leak while I'm diggin', I bring a warm hand to their cold flesh just to let them know that someone's right there with them. I like to think they know what's going on."

When asked what his favorite part is — the peeing or the hand holding — Meyers gave an answer that one could tell he's been prepared to give for a long time.

"It's not necessarily about one thing or the other. What matters to me is the feeling when I go home to my beautiful wife and eight lovely daughters and can feel good about the man I am — daddy's doing the right stuff, y'know?" said Meyers, wiping away tears.

When asked what message he'd send to men who are uncomfortable with his practice, Meyers kept it simple — "Buck up and let me love you."

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Photo courtesy of CC BY-SA 3.0