Fragile Masculinity and the Male LMT

As I have begun my journey to become a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), I have come to understand that incredible stigma that surrounds men in my chosen profession. 

• According to the American Association of Therapeutic Massage nearly 80% of all massage therapists are female
• 75% of all spa-goers are female, so it could be as simple as math.
• American men have litte-to-no physical contact with another man outside of a handshake or contact playing sports
• Homophobia from male clients toward male LMTs appears to be a very real thing.

In seeing clients in student clinic, I have come across men who want "only their back" worked on for 50 minutes. Men who will lie on top of the drape with pants and socks on and shirt off and request "back only". And in working the phones at my current employer (which is a massage establishment) I have spoken to more men than I care to recount that have stated the great pain that they are in and "I'll take whatever is open" only to then back-peddle when the only appointment open is with a male therapist. (How much pain are you really in?)

From all that I've read and studied, the real issue is men being naked around other men; even though the client if fully draped at all times. 

Massage therapists genuinely do not care about your naked body other than it is a body in need of therapy and healing, and that it is (hopefully) clean. We do not care about your unshaven legs(ladies), nor do we care about your body issues. We truly only care about giving you the relief that you've requested.

So guys, stop being babies.....if you have a therapist who happens to be female and she does great bodywork for you, fantastic! However, if you're new to massage and/or need a last minute appointment for a nagging injury that you just can't seem to shake, by all means don't pass on a therapist simply because he's male. You might be missing out on the greatest bodywork of your life!