I’m tired.
No, scratch that. I’m exhausted. I don’t mean physically; I mean I’m mentally drained to the point that more words won’t come. I’ve run out of different ways to say the same things. Yet here I am, giving it one more try.
Feminism is not “bad for men.”
Or perhaps it is, in the sense that it requires men to examine the ways in which they benefit from male privilege. Perhaps it is bad for men who actively work to perpetuate the systems in place that tip the balance in their favor. Perhaps it is bad for men who violently use and abuse women.
But it’s not bad for men in the sense that they must no longer be real men.
The reason for my weariness today is the numerous conversations on- and offline following last week’s Feminisms Fest blog link-up. I think the reaction of non-participants (overwhelmingly cis men) can be summed up like so:
I’m tired of hearing about feminism. Not all men are bad.
Yes, well, that’s true. The thing is, though, even if you’re one of the good (not “good”) ones, unless you’re putting your voice out there already, you probably have some things to learn.
It’s not about the actions of one individual man that concern me. It’s the societal structures in place that allow people to live in blissful ignorance of the hidden privileges of being a male-identified, male-bodied person. Even some of the things that do hurt men are the direct result of patriarchy. I’ve tried (sometimes patiently, sometimes not) to explain what it means to be privileged, but too often I’m met with, “Huh?”
This checklist of male privilege is fairly helpful. There are some things that I think could use some clarification, but overall, it’s a nice summary. It’s not surprising, but it is disappointing that according to the checklist, cisgender is also assumed; that’s a post for another day. I also want to mention that a few of the items on the list would be harmful to men if they were reversed–another direct result of patriarchy. For example:
- A man would not be questioned about having a career and children, but he certainly would be questioned if he decided to stay home.
- A man would not be expected to take his spouse’s name on marriage, but he would be questioned if he did.
- The entirety of manhood would not be seen as a failure for one man’s failure in his career–but he might be seen as having failed at manhood.
- A man who works for a woman might be viewed negatively if he wasn’t vying for her job–or even if he expressed his respect for her authority.
- A boy who is quiet, introverted, or artistic is often viewed as unmasculine.
- Boys may be judged on the kinds of toys they do or do not play with.
- On the whole, a man doesn’t have to worry about the message his wardrobe sends–unless he doesn’t want to wear “typical” men’s clothing or colors.
- A man who has been sexually harassed, raped, or victimized by an intimate partner may have more stigma and fewer resources for help based on the faulty idea that he should have “been a man” and prevented or stopped it. He may not be able to seek asylum at a shelter due to distrust of men or disbelief that he was victimized.
Yes, men, this is hurting you, too. But not in the ways you think it is. Not because a woman who works in upper management is a “ball-buster” or wants to “be a man.” Not because your notion of feminism is that it’s anti-man. What’s hurting you is not feminism but the systems that feminism seeks to dismantle.
I think the mistake is that in some way, men recognize that the power is imbalanced, and there is an understandable fear that the tables will be turned. It’s not so much about losing the privileged status (at least, not for the genuinely good guys); it’s about not wanting women to do to men what they’ve done to us for centuries. I can assure you that while there are probably a few women who would like that, the overwhelming majority of us just want equity.
That’s all. Just all people, equal in all things. Equal pay. Equal choices for our lives. Freedom from fear. Freedom of gender expression and sexual expression. Opportunities for all people in all areas of work and life. Justice for everyone, regardless of who we are, how we identify, or what we look like. It’s actually pretty simple.
The ways to accomplish it are simple, too. Take a look at the checklist again. What things on there can you change in how you interact with your spouse and children? Your parents and siblings? Your employers and employees? Yourself?
If you think about it, it’s not hard to see why we still need feminism–even for men.
Bill Johnson
A real man should believe in equal pay for equal work. When I was on the fire dept it was expected that if a woman wanted to join she had to be physically capable of doing everything the guys had to do. My philosophy on women earned me a comment from one of my teachers in jr college that I was a feminist. My mom raised three kids on her own after my dad died and she did every kind of job imaginable to keep food on the table & this was in the 60’s.
Amy
Your mom sounds like an incredibly strong woman!
There are many, many ways to be a feminist. Like you’ve pointed out here, by your example and your mom’s, it doesn’t have to be about replacing men with women–just people experiencing equity.
Ray Colon
Hi Amy,
If the ‘debates’ of the last election cycle did not convince naysayers that gender equality is an endpoint that has not yet been reached, then practically nothing will. For those who would claim to be unawares, that can only be due to willful ignorance.
Equal pay, opportunity, and treatment under the law are things over which many battles have been waged by many different groups of people. None of them were easy. I think that true change occurs when the voices that rise up are not only those of the affected party. When others recognize the veracity of the aggrieved group’s claims and join in the effort, change can happen. This is why, “I’m tired of hearing about feminism. Not all men are bad,” are insufficient responses.
I’m sure that some people are tired of hearing about feminism, civil rights, and gay rights to name a few. They would be the ones who believe that they are unaffected. They are the ones who should be listening closer. They are the ones for whom you write posts like this. The exhaustion that you’re experiencing is an unfortunate byproduct of any effort to bring about change. It’s always a slog.
Amy
It is a slog, for sure. But I’ll keep going, in part because of the people who think they’re unaffected. Not because they are bad people, but because they are exactly the good people we need to help make real change.
It is a little sad, in some ways, that the efforts of the aggrieved often go unnoticed until someone else stands up with them. Knowing that, I try very hard not to replace others’ voices with my own–only add mine in support.