Feminism 101, I highly recommend you add this new blog to your favorites list.

[More Than A Feeling]

I'm going to be reading this blog from now on, because the sampling shows that I have so much to learn about feminism. For starters, some feminists don't like it if men refer to themselves as feminists, because they see feminism as primarily a women's liberation movement, and men can't know what its like to be a woman, so they can be allies, at best. I didn't know that, but now that I've read about it, they do have a point.

http://finallyfeminism101.blogspot.com/

[tishaLA]

1. The topic of men in feminism

was discussed--to death--in the late 80s. See the book Men in Feminism edited by Alice Jardin.

Me? I know plenty of male feminists.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. Before then, even

I started college in the late 70s, and it was a big issue then.

As an undergrad and a male, I tried to take "Intro to Feminism" and wasn't allowed.

[Grey]

2. Thank You, n/t

[BoneDaddy]

4. So men can't refer to themselves as

feminists. HMMM. Ok. Anything else I should or shouldn't do, cause God knows I am going to go to this blog daily to learn how to be a man from these women.

Edit: What say you we move this to the women's forum?

[More Than A Feeling]

6. Why?

This is something for everyone. Why shuffle it off to place where people are much more likely to already know most of what the blog contains?

[BoneDaddy]

8. ONe more piece

from the emasculation crowd over what men should or shouldn't do. I find it sadly funny that the very group (small minority of extremists) behaves similar to the patriarchal males who they claim issue with.

[riverdeep]

5. Looking at the comments section,

the commenters suggest that it is not a settled issue that men can't be feminists, and indeed, suggest that it is a minority view within feminism. But, an excellent concept to gather the basics in one place, where feminists, for a change, get to define themselves.

[maxsolomon]

7. if it will inspire more DU postings wherein heterosexual males are belittled, then i'm all for it

lord knows all the heterosexual males need to be castigated regularly for offering any opinions whatsoever on any gender issue on DU, & with furious feminism 101 vengeance.

:sarcasm:

also, this sentence from the blog: "The debate over the terms is a niggling undercurrent of controversy rather than an enormously divisive issue.". they may want to rethink that word preceding undercurrent - we've had flamewars over variants of it.

[riverdeep]

9. I don't know, but I'm sensing some hostility

over what seemed on surface to be a fairly neutral post, i.e. here's a cool site, check it out.

[BoneDaddy]

10. Not hostility just tired of being so damn

supportive of the movement and every day there is some new thing that men "have to do" to be perceived by women as allies. This may not be the case here but usually it is instigated by a woman with a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas and couched in the piece are generalized potshots at men, even men who are highly supportive. Feminists are clear that men should not define what women should be, act, think, yet here is a piece asking the very men to define themselves differntly.

Ok, Meminist. I made up a new term.

Definition of Meminist:
A male who supports the feminist movement.

[riverdeep]

11. Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience

with feminists, mine have been quite good, overall. Also, I think you may have a monolithic view of feminists. My guess is that you would not find radical feminist types to be to your liking, while having less issue with sex-positive feminists. Notice the use of the word 'some' in the original post. The same way that poeple believe all dems are for taking your guns away, when in fact, there is a large contingent of dem gun owners.

[BoneDaddy]

12. You are correct

Overwhelmingly I know, work with and love women who are sex-positive feminists and I find radical feminists as extreme as fundamentalists in religion: there is only one way to look at gender and it is OUR way. They are often as rigid, angry and repressed as the patriarchy they condemn. And yes it is a sore spot when I treat women as equals, support the cause and defend feminism and then come to DU and get slammed by some woman who hates men.

It is in the minority but it still exists in here. It is not a monolithic view on my part as I am aware of the differences within feminism.

[riverdeep]

13. I don't want to put words in a rad fem's mouth,

but I think they would say it's not men they hate but the system that's been built around them. In any case, rad fem is a greater departure from the status quo than sex pos, so it's going to have less appeal for most folks. Personally, I find myself agreeing and disagreeing in places with both outlooks, and as an aside, some of the funniest people I know are rad fems. Having said that, I've also met rad fem women who if they could get away with it, would take a hatchet to men, so they're out there too.

[BoneDaddy]

14. It is refreshing to hear

your words. Thank you.

[riverdeep]

15. de nada

(you're welcome)

[Nikki Stone1]

16. A guy who is a true feminist is worth his weight in gold

Rare, but worth his weight in gold. Why anybody would want to step on these enlightened types is a mystery to me. There are plenty of real assholes out there to beat the crap out of.

[Stuckinthebush]

17. feminist men

Pretty much a second wave issue really. There was the whole discussion of men being feminist or pro-feminists. Most third wave feminists not only accept but value male feminists in the mix because feminism is not just a political movement, it is a critical social theory that analyzes gender based power. Men are very much part of this analysis and play an important role in theory.

This male feminist has no problem calling himself a feminist...but I do understand there are second wave feminists that would argue that point.