Can Men Be Feminists?

[Yambabe]

Musing. While I've always been on the side of equality and rights for women I don't think, in the past, I would have called myself a feminist.

I'm now starting to do a little more background reading about history and feminist theories, but only really started and don't have the knowledge that I know some of you all do.

The more I read the more interesting it get though, and the more I realise that there is no one-size-fits-all definition of feminism. The basic premise seems to be that society treats men as superior to women, women are oppressed by patriarchy and that feminism exists in all its various forms to try and lift that oppression and attain true equality for women.

So with that in mind, is feminism something that only women can truly understand or is it something that can be open to anyone who understands the premise? There are undoubtedly some men who empathise with the theories and aims of feminism but are they feminists or just supporters?

Not sure where I'm going with this, just curious to see how others view it I think. Also happy to take on board any reading recommendations (although I have already found the other sections of FWR to be a great resource).

and I hate seeing people constantly having a go at decent kind sensitive individuals

Where are you seeing this, exactly?

I don't see anyone having a go at decent, kind, sensitive people (and all the men in my life are that or they wouldn't be in my life).

We're having a go at PP. If he's sensitive them I'm a unicorn.

it is sexist to say men can't be feminist

LOL. Poor men, they are having such a bad year.

Grrr, then not them!

53rd Way 😂

I know a number of decent kind sensitive men. One thing they all have in common is they all refrain from prancing about declaring themselves to be feminists and telling women they are doing feministing wrong, might be just a coincidence I suppose.

Claire, women have CONSTANTLY told men how we feel, what we have experienced and how we have been abused, assaulted, raped...our sisters murdered at male hands.

But NOTHING changes. In fact, it gets worse. Sex crimes continue to rise, women continue to be abused and they continue to be murdered. And what do men do? They complain feminist women aren't doing ENOUGH to stop men from killing us.

Much like you are doing, in fact.

Nobody has a go at decent kind sensitive individuals simply because they are straight white men ever. Nobody would need to because they'd be doing decent, kind and sensitive things. Not sure what relevance being straight or white has to this discussion, could you possibly enlighten us?

“I have straight white male sons, friends and students. I have in the past had a straight white male father and brothers”

Lots of us do. Your point?

Nobody has a go at decent kind sensitive individuals simply because they are straight white men ever.

yes they do, constantly, even just in the course of normal conversations in the pub, I see it all the time, and I challenge it regularly.

its not on

Where do you live that pub conversations are full of angry feminist mobs picking on sensitive kind men?

I am suspicious of any man who claims to be a feminist.
Those men who have recently claimed to denounce "toxic masculinity" and support feminism only to systematically push for our sex based rights to be destroyed.

They only women these men actually support are those with a penis.

We see them. That's why they hate us.

Claire, women have CONSTANTLY told men how we feel, what we have experienced and how we have been abused, assaulted, raped...our sisters murdered at male hands.

But NOTHING changes. In fact, it gets worse. Sex crimes continue to rise, women continue to be abused and they continue to be murdered. And what do men do? They complain feminist women aren't doing ENOUGH to stop men from killing us.

no

Claire, women have CONSTANTLY told men how we feel, what we have experienced and how we have been abused, assaulted, raped...our sisters murdered at the hands of some men.

But NOTHING changes. In fact, it gets worse. Sex crimes continue to rise, women continue to be abused and they continue to be murdered. And what do somemen do? They complain feminist women aren't doing ENOUGH to stop men from killing us

“yes they do, constantly, even just in the course of normal conversations in the pub, I see it all the time, and I challenge it regularly.”

Could you give an example?

Two words Claire...class analysis.😉

I know a number of decent kind sensitive men. One thing they all have in common is they all refrain from prancing about declaring themselves to be feminists and telling women they are doing feministing wrong, might be just a coincidence I suppose.

Indeed.

Good for you. Now can you point out where precisely anyone on here has had a go at a decent person solely on account of their being straight or white?

Not sure what relevance being straight or white has to this discussion, could you possibly enlighten us?

because these are seen as additional reasons to pile into completely decent, innocent men

yes they do, constantly, even just in the course of normal conversations in the pub, I see it all the time, and I challenge it regularly.

Then the natural conclusion is that those men are not being the kind, sensitive wee souls you'd like to think they are.

And you still haven't responded as to why being white and straight is an issue.

When I go down the pub, it's full of scary women interrogating men and telling them how they are manning wrong. My DH is scared to come in with me, it's that bad.

All pubs are full of witches feminists of the wrong sort doing that. Anyone who says otherwise must be a witch feminist of the wrong sort themselves.

“because these are seen as additional reasons to pile into completely decent, innocent men”

Examples please.

because these are seen as additional reasons to pile into completely decent, innocent men

Could you possibly point out where this is happening, because it would appear not to be part of the same plane of reality the rest of the world is on.

There are pubs round here where men go to the loo in pairs because of all the women playing pool and “accidentally” brushing past their crotches as they go past.

I can well imagine Bertrand the pubs round here are just wall to wall with people slagging off decent, sensitive, straight white men simply for existing. The utter bastards.

Yeah, no. Not a thing.

Interesting that you say you challenge people insulting straight, while men, yet you do not challenge men over their abuse of women.🤨 Even trying (dismally) to defend men as a group regarding their abuse of women.

MRAs are so tiresome.