Curate, connect, and discover
I saw the part about how the patriarchy also negatively affects men, and I wanted to expand(?) a bit more on that.
Yes, the patriarchy centers around having men in the main position of power, both at the home and on the political scene (to name a few examples), but it also sells the idea to men that they have these conform to the stereotypes that the patriarchy perpetuates.
And I’m not ignoring the great privilege the patriarchy gives to men, but we can’t ignore the harm that it also causes them.
The idea that men HAVE to be leaders, that they HAVE to be strong, that they CAN’T be vulnerable
We should be able to recognize the harm the patriarchy causes to women without pushing the harm it causes all other genders, but specifically men in this instance, out of the picture.
I want there to be fewer MRAs. Do you want that too? Do you want to know what helps us get there, from a feminist perspective?
You may not like my answer: acknowledge that sexism can affect men. Recognize that, although the patriarchy generally privileges men, they are also subject to restrictive gender roles that are harmful to them (shunning all things “feminine,” not showing emotions, being protectors/strong, never admitting being victims of SA/IPV, having to “earn” their manhood, etc.).
Give young men a place other than the right-wing manosphere to be heard about the issues they experience. If these grifters are telling them “only we understand how hard it is to be a man, the left hates you for your gender” and they look to the left and see “men claiming they have ‘problems’ are losers who just hate women, all men are trash,” do you think they’re going to be drawn towards or away from feminism?
Before you leave an angry response: no, this does not mean to center men instead of women in feminism, it just means including them at all. No, it is not “coddling” men to treat them with human dignity, you can and should continue to hold them (and every other gender) responsible for unpacking sexist beliefs. No, this does not mean it is every individual woman’s and feminist’s responsibility to prioritize men’s issues, it just means at the least not shutting them down when they do speak up about sexism. No, it is not “not all men-ing” to point out that “men are trash” sentiments hurt the feminist movement rather than helping it. Ask questions before you make accusations on this post, please. I have been abused by men too, I get it, this isn’t easy to hear.