#ProFeministMenShould: A Hangout on pro-feminist men in the blogosphere

In the spirit of International Women’s Day’s 2014 theme, “Inspiring Change,” social justice activists from diverse backgrounds came together this past Saturday to engage in critical dialogue around pro-feminist men and how more men can engage the movement to unlearn patriarchy, stand in solidarity with women, and collectively advocate for social change and gender equality. 

Pro-feminist Latino blogger Michael Urbina hosted this Google Hangout with the intention of contributing to existing conversations around men’s involvement in online and offline feminist spaces. As we know, men’s inclusion in the movement is vital to dismantling the patriarchy and bringing about micro and macro forms of social change. Not only did this Google Hangout inspire great conversation around these points, but it also touched on several important thoughts for men to be mindful of when entering feminist spaces. Some highlights:

• Pro-feminist men’s existing roles should include intervening – as active online bystanders – in support of women and trans folk who speak out.
• Pro-feminist men leveraging their privilege is important to advancing feminist dialogue in male-dominated spaces. The goal is disrupting patriarchy.
• Social media is a new vehicle for networking, learning from one another, and collectively bringing about social change.
• Pro-feminist men need to take cues from women of color and trans people regarding their activism’s direction.
• We need more masculinity-focused organizations that work to dismantle toxic masculinities and begin advocating for healthier versions of masculinity.

For more on this conversation, check out #ProFeministMenShould on Twitter.

Feminist men are Juliana‘s favorite kind of men.