Feminism: Now Available in Men’s Sizes!
Feminism has historically been recognized as a women’s social movement. From first wave suffragists to second wave women of the 1970s and ’80s, men involved within the movement were few and far between. With the introduction of intersectionality into the third wave of feminism, the barriers of what it means to be a feminist began to break down.
What is means to be a feminist has been defined by those who participate and are involved in it, giving women the sole responsibility of working on feminist issues. This can be problematic for a number of reasons. In her book Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, Judith Butler explains women as the subject of feminism. Butler argues that ones gender identity is not inherent to their biology, but a product of the repetition of social norms, such as our behaviors, how we speak, our dress code, etc. The word ‘woman’ and its corresponding identity makes sense in a heterosexual context, and Butler argues that feminism is a hegemonic system itself that is enforcing who is considered a woman. Butler proposes that feminism is primarily reliant on the concept of women, and since gender is fabricated and can vary, the structure of feminism must change to rely on something more consistent or it is, and remains, invalid.
Butler’s message is a beckoning cry for all kinds of people to get involved in the feminist movement to make it intersectional and diverse. More men becoming involved comes after the realization that they too are effected by patriarchy and misogyny. Patriarchy enforces the stigmatization of men as being strong and forceful in order to be masculine. Men who do not fit this role are ridiculed, stay-at-home fathers are emasculated for doing one of the most natural jobs in existence, being a parent. There is a correlation between masculinity and violence, which has even led to a push by psychiatrists to redefine masculinity with less violence, and therefore less negative psychological effects. Toxic and hegemonic masculinity enforced by institutional patriarchy is particularly detrimental due to its denial of a range of emotions, deeming them as feminine and therefore unsuitable for men to experience. This can lead to a disregard of many mental health problems that men encounter, because the stigmatization of men as being self reliant and tough. Ignoring and not diagnosing mental disorders can have devastating affects, such as men having much higher suicide rates than women.
Although more men are becoming involved, only 33% of men in the United States consider themselves feminists. A newly defined feminism that is all inclusive could be a new frontier for many, and a safe haven for many men who are being negatively effected by patriarchy. Feminism offers a new future for men where they are not being held to toxic masculinist ideals. Patriarchy stigmatizes men as being animalistic and incapable of change, and feminism holds onto an egalitarian future where men are not summed up to urges. Feminism can be, and should be, for all.
