Fascinating – Men when Allowed into a Movement Centre Themselves.

@ Kevin Murphy

Hi.

“I’d say that just some men, perhaps, demand that feminism be reshaped , but certainly not all.”

I’m kinda curious Kevin as to why – as a male feminist – you would deploy the #notallmen gambit as your first point of contention.

Because really, the answer, whether I am dealing with a male feminist or an MRA is quite the same: Most certainly not all the men are demanding feminism being reshaped, but enough men are calling for the reshaping of feminist thought for it to be a large problem.

“I’d like to feel that 4th wave feminists accept us as true allies.”

Who exactly are the ‘4th wave of feminists’ and what are their theories and praxis?

“We fully accept women’s authority and leadership and we contend that it’s masculinity that must change and be redefined in accordance with feminist principles in order to create a truly equal society and that patriarchy must be smashed.”

You see Kevin, it is statements like this that make this spinster uncle’s side eye start to twich. Notions of femininity and masculinity are both the master’s tools, and to bound one’s notions of reforms into those tools is very likely not a workable solution for women.

I agree with you that men should – at once – stop behaving like the raving toxic masculinity dumpster-fires that typifies men as a class; but that is not the work of feminism.

Feminism, the emancipation of the female class from the oppressive structures of patriarchal society, has bigger fish to fry. Namely critiquing, deconstructing and ultimately dismantling the systemic structures in society that make being a woman in society such a shit deal. The coded notions of masculinity and femininity exist within the societal artifice of gender – and that is the societal construct that needs to go. Gender exists to maintain the oppressive hierarchy in society, and that is what 2nd wave feminism seeks to undo.

“Trump & Co. have done our gender a great disservice”

Err… Men have, and will continue to act as they do with patriarchal constraints of society. I do agree that Trump et al. have probably enabled more shitty male behaviour, but one American administration does not equal the Patriarchy.

“we do genuinely feel ashamed and we do apologize to women for the disrespect that has been shown to them.”

Thanks for that. Rhetoric is fairly easy to come by, effective action, is quite another. Men can change the system (they made they can change it). Just look how far TiM’s have come in a few short years. Their legislative agenda continues to makes waves and erase females from society. Men, get shit done because the system is geared toward them.

When the male movement to redefine masculinity makes even a small ripple in the current political zeitgeist, I’ll consider adding more weight to your statements.

“I disagree with the opinions expressed in this article.”

Anything specific you’d like to mention?

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