It's not true. The idea that fathers tell their sons that it's not okay to cry is absurd. The reality is that men don't encounter situations where they are powerless as often as women do, mostly because of enablement through patriarchal social structuring.
Yeah, it's more unreasonable to expect people to learn the words for every special request. Being someone that tried to communicate in a foreign country, I get what it's like not having the words to explain speciality requests for food.