In my opinion, as a man, feminism is for men. Feminism, at its core, is saying that strict gender roles are made up, and anyone is capable of being anyone. Men had a lot of freedom to do this already, though obviously a lot of things weren’t allowed, like homosexuality, playing with other gendered clothing, or “queerness” in general as it used to be called.
A proper understanding of feminism I think would lead us all to recognizing we are free from the shackles of tradition, though the word makes a lot of people think it’s only helping women, at the expense of men.
this is a nice way to look at it - but feminism isn’t just a vague ideology, it’s also a social movement that is designed for women and populated by women. men are at best allies in that space, and at worst viewed as the enemy, othered, and excluded.
i’ll gladly id as a feminist ideologically but i’m not foolish enough to think i’d be welcomed with open arms at a feminist rally. tolerated? sure. but not part of the group.
I don’t think you’re correct, and I’ve felt welcomed around feminists (though I’ve never been in explicit feminist spaces). Even if you are though, it doesn’t detract from my point. The goals of feminism help men too. If followed to completion, it removes gender roles from being strictly necessary. It allows people to be what they want.
Feminism is part of a larger movement, hence intersectional feminism. Even that though is part of a larger movement of liberalizing society to accept all people for who they are. Yes, there are also some groups who use feminism to exclude other people (TERFs, for example), but usually if people agree women should be allowed in roles normally reserved for men then gender norms aren’t real and are necessarily oppressive, for everyone.
In my opinion, as a man, feminism is for men. Feminism, at its core, is saying that strict gender roles are made up, and anyone is capable of being anyone. Men had a lot of freedom to do this already, though obviously a lot of things weren’t allowed, like homosexuality, playing with other gendered clothing, or “queerness” in general as it used to be called.
A proper understanding of feminism I think would lead us all to recognizing we are free from the shackles of tradition, though the word makes a lot of people think it’s only helping women, at the expense of men.
this is a nice way to look at it - but feminism isn’t just a vague ideology, it’s also a social movement that is designed for women and populated by women. men are at best allies in that space, and at worst viewed as the enemy, othered, and excluded.
i’ll gladly id as a feminist ideologically but i’m not foolish enough to think i’d be welcomed with open arms at a feminist rally. tolerated? sure. but not part of the group.
I’ve been welcomed in feminist spaces. Don’t try to take center stage or make it about you and you’ll be fine in the vast majority of them.
if you truly believe that, it says more about your own social awareness than it does about the feminist movement.
I don’t think you’re correct, and I’ve felt welcomed around feminists (though I’ve never been in explicit feminist spaces). Even if you are though, it doesn’t detract from my point. The goals of feminism help men too. If followed to completion, it removes gender roles from being strictly necessary. It allows people to be what they want.
Feminism is part of a larger movement, hence intersectional feminism. Even that though is part of a larger movement of liberalizing society to accept all people for who they are. Yes, there are also some groups who use feminism to exclude other people (TERFs, for example), but usually if people agree women should be allowed in roles normally reserved for men then gender norms aren’t real and are necessarily oppressive, for everyone.
nothing that you’ve said here contradicts my point and you’re demonstrating a profound misunderstanding of intersectionalism.