Dismantling Masculine Culture: A Vision for Male Feminism

Barbara Smith speaking at International Women's Strike in Albany, NY (March 8, 2017)

I am a man. I am a feminist. Contrary to what many believe, including both men and women, these two identities are not mutually exclusive. Unlike some, I do not subscribe to the belief that feminism is opposed to men, or that feminism is a movement for women only. On the contrary, feminism is a movement that supports equality across the gender spectrum. Feminism is not opposed to men, but rather to masculinity, and to the binary view of gender.

Yesterday (March 8) was International Women's Day. I attended the local International Women's Strike event here in Albany, one designed to promote the anti-capitalist roots of the day itself. The vast majority of participants in the event were women; I was one of the few men there. This was not unexpected, as feminism is and always has been a movement led by women and promoting women's interests.

Nonetheless, I think this presents a good opportunity to reflect on the role that men do and should play within the feminist movement. Many men do not believe that they can or should be feminists; even some female feminists believe the same thing. Thus men are reluctant to consider themselves as feminists in the first place, or participate in feminist movements or female-led events.

In general, issues of gender and sexuality are primarily looked at as being female fields, compared to other subjects. Consider that the vast majority of college students majoring in gender studies are women (this is also true of sociology in general). Additionally, walking into the average library or bookstore reveals that relative to other areas of feminism, there are far fewer works on masculinity. In many ways, feminism has become "female-only", focusing solely on female equality, and not on encouraging men and women to break down the culture of masculinity itself.

Lisa Wade, writing about hookup culture on American college campuses, succinctly describes the problem presented by such female-only feminism: "Feminists wanted this for women. They wanted them to have the right to put themselves first, to build impressive careers, and to have sex freely. And they got that. But they also wanted men to embrace having sex for love. They wanted to share with men the beauty of a life driven by empathy, care, and tenderness. That's not what happened. Instead, the average woman became more masculine, and so did the average man."

Aside from the obvious harm that masculine culture inflicts on women, many men are also harmed by it. Men are expected to conform to a specific brand of masculinity, one based on strength, competition, assertiveness, and aggression. Men who do not conform to this expectation are told to "man up" and to "be a man", as if being masculine and being a man are the same thing. This is especially harmful to queer and trans men, who are often targeted for the perceived inadequacy of their masculinity. Expressing emotion, sensitivity, or empathy is devalued and often frowned upon. Men who seek help for mental illness and addiction are stigmatized. At times, it seems that violence is the only acceptable way for men to express themselves.

Given these facts, it is clear to me that men have a necessary role to play in the feminist movement. Men should continue to serve as allies to the female-led women's rights movement. Men should be in the streets with women as they fight for equal pay, paid maternity and sick leave, and reproductive rights. Men need to stand alongside women who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Men need to support the global fights working to empower women to make their own decisions regarding their educations, careers, and marriages.

Yet there are other feminist fights that men should be taking the lead on. For instance, men need to be the ones challenging the sexual aggression and objectification of women that comprise rape culture. Men need to challenge the casual sexism and misogyny laden in our everyday language. Men need to challenge the hypermasculine definition of maleness, including that exhibited by our own president, one that too often leads to homophobia and transphobia. Men need to take a leading role in reconsidering our relationships with women as colleagues, as friends, and as romantic and life partners. Ultimately, just as white people need to play an integral role in the movement for racial justice, men need to play an integral role in the movement for gender equality.

It is certainly a mark of progress that women are increasingly entering traditionally male-dominated fields like business, politics, and the military. However, we must be mindful that so-called "lean-in feminism" is not enough. The value of this equality should come from breaking down the masculine cultures that mark these institutions, not adopting them. Unfortunately, it is clear that the women who enter these institutions are just as capable of maintaining hierarchies, exploiting those below them, and pursuing power and profit as the men they replace. Ultimately, masculine culture itself is the problem.

We must recognize the connection between masculine culture and other forms of oppression. We must recognize the masculine roots of racism and ethnocentrism, of chauvinism and xenophobia. Militarism, imperialism, and colonialism are all products of the masculine worldview. We can find the cult of masculinity behind the anthropocentrism driving our current ecological crises. Perhaps above all, we need to acknowledge just how strongly rooted masculine ideology is within capitalism, with its emphasis on individualism, competition, and exploitation. If we want to tear down these oppressive systems, we must look at masculinity as the ideology that holds them all up.

Our goal should be to build a society based on empathy, not dehumanization. A society of equality, not hierarchy; of interdependence, not domination. One of peace, life, and regeneration, not of war, death, and destruction. This is the vision we have, and an intersectional, cross-sex feminism is the best tool we have for getting there.