Tag Archive for "male feminists"

Posts Tagged male feminists

Watch: High school boys talk about why they are feminists

In my opinion, the only thing more tiresome than a conversation about women identifying as feminists is one about men doing so. But after Pharrell said he doesn’t “think it’s possible” for him to be a feminist since he’s a dude — and in the wake of #notallmen, #yesallwomen, and #allmencan — The New York Times is (as always) asking the tough obvious questions: “Is it possible to be a male feminist?”

By Maya Dusenbery • 9 years ago

New Favorite Meme: Feminist Frank

While he can’t quite top Feminist Ryan Gosling IMHO, (I mean, really, who could?) Feminist Frank is pretty great.

Lesson learned: Never judge a bro until he’s finished his opening line.

More after the jump.

While he can’t quite top Feminist Ryan Gosling IMHO, (I mean, really, who could?) Feminist Frank is pretty great.

Lesson learned: Never judge a bro until he’s finished his opening line.

More after the jump.

By Mychal Denzel Smith • 9 years ago

A How to Guide for Male Feminists (with the caveat that I don’t know what I’m talking about)

The weirdest thing that has happened to me in my career as a writer is people asking me to talk. Churches, community groups, schools, organizations, TV/radio, birthday and bachelorette parties. For some reason, people want to hear words come out of my mouth, which makes me a little uneasy, because I became a writer in part so I wouldn’t ever have to talk.

But I do it more and more now, and provided I’ve had a chance to listen to my confidence building soundtrack (it’s Jay Z’s The Blueprint album for those wondering, but you choose whatever makes you feel like a boss), I’m OK speaking to crowds. And they get comfortable enough to ask questions.

I write a lot about ...

By Mychal Denzel Smith • 10 years ago

Hating oral sex as the new misogyny? Toward a more feminist sex life

There is a much needed conversation to be had about straight men, masculinity, and sex. As a society we privilege the sexual desires of straight men and then limit the expression of those desires. We should be talking about the ways in which misogyny and homophobia have shaped our ideas about what constitutes appropriate sexual behavior. There should be more focus on enthusiastic consent. We ought to encourage more communication, body acceptance, and pleasure.

“I’m A Feminist, But I Don’t Eat Pussy” is not the way to have that conversation. It won’t be getting any link-love here, but Thought Catalog published this piece by Wayne Nutnot, a self-proclaimed straight white male feminist, who thinks vaginas are icky. In ...

By Mychal Denzel Smith • 10 years ago

On doing the emotional work of being a male feminist

I appreciate pieces like Lauren Rankin’s “Feminism Needs Men, Too” over at PolicyMic and interviews like this one Brittney Cooper (of Crunk Feminist Collective) did with The Feminist Wire because they force me to consider more deeply what it means when I identify as a male feminist. I come into this space with a set of privileges (cis, male, hetero) that are in constant need of interrogation, so it’s important to take some time to reflect on that a bit.

I’m deliberate about saying I’m a feminist for a couple of reasons. I believe in equality and tearing down the systems of oppression that stand its way, so identifying as a feminist signals my dedication to radical change. ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Thank You Thursdays: The cross-dressing Kurd Men For Equality

Earlier this month, in the city of Marivan, Iran, a judged sentenced a man convicted of domestic abuse to be paraded around town dressed in traditional Kurdish women’s clothing. This was a “punishment” since obviously being a woman is so embarrassing, amirite? In response, a local feminist group held a rally, and 17 members of the Iranian parliament wrote to the justice ministry complaining it was “humiliating to Muslim women.”

But perhaps the most creative protest has come from the Kurd Men For Equality campaign that sprung up on Facebook. In solidarity with the women’s protest, hundreds of men have submitted photos of themselves dressed in women’s clothing to visually send the message, “Being a woman is not a tool to ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Quote of the Day: “All men should be feminists”

So says John Legend.

“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered – it leads to a better society.”

Via Shakesville.

So says John Legend.

“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered – it leads to a better society.”

Via Shakesville.

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

The Wednesday Weigh-In: Does it matter if people don’t identify as feminists?

Ed. note: This is a joint post by Maya and Sesali. (Photo via)

Earlier this week Policymic released a list of 5 male closet feminists in government. The article pointed out that “publicly labeling oneself a feminist still seems to be a dangerous game for male lawmakers.” But it’s not just men. In recent weeks, well-known women from Katy Perry to Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have disavowed the feminist label. It must be time for another round of hand-wringing about why people don’t identify as feminists!

Maya: I really appreciated this chat between Nona Willis-Aronowitz and Amanda Hess about the criticism celebrities who say they aren’t feminists–particularly pop stars like Perry and Taylor Swift–receive in the feminist blogoshere.

Sure, I think it’d be ...

Ed. note: This is a joint post by Maya and Sesali. (Photo via)

Earlier this week Policymic released a list of 5 male closet feminists in government. The article pointed out that “publicly labeling oneself a ...