Glossary
What is soy boy?
Soy boy is an insult used online to describe men seen as weak or effeminate, aimed particularly at vegan and liberal men. It rests on the false claim that soy lowers testosterone. The term emerged in early 2017 on 4chan and in incel communities.
Where the term comes from
It appeared in early 2017 on 4chan’s politically incorrect board and in incel forums, reaching Reddit by that April. By September 2017 it had a matching meme face. Unusually for an insult this widespread, it has a documented origin and a short history.
Does soy affect testosterone?
No. A meta-analysis of 41 clinical studies found that soy and isoflavone intake did not significantly affect total testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, estrone or the free androgen index in men.
Reclaiming it
The insult only works if being like a woman is an insult. That is the part doing all the work.
So we flipped it. Soy Boy is one of our badges on Grazer, worn with pride. A slur stops functioning the moment the people it was aimed at start wearing it on purpose, and turning an intended insult into something you own is more fun than arguing with it.