Men speak out on feminism

Winston Le: “We need feminism. I grew up in a very strict Vietnamese household with very misogynistic uncles. I saw how the women were viewed in my family and how they were treated. Also, growing up, my mom always told me to ‘be a man.’ Those were the most three ambiguous words to me. ‘Be a man’ has connotations of rape culture. It can be taken lightly but there’s a thin line until it is abuse. I think the feminism movement is great and having male allies is great progression.”

Paulo Lingal: “I spend a lot of time in front of my computer and sometimes the internet portrays a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions of feminism. They make it sound more of an oppression [towards men and women] rather than equality. Kinda blows.”

Connor Doyle: “The best way I can think feminism has benefited me is in how I relate to society. I’ve always had anxiety with how to conduct yourself and how to live a good life. I was originally raised Catholic and had very strict rules on how to live your life and I wasn’t really happy with that. There was a time after I stopped being religious and started looking into alternative avenues on how to really live correctly, happily and fulfilled that I didn’t know what to do. A girlfriend at the time who was going to be in the Vagina Monologues and she had to take feminism courses. Through her, I learned about some of the expectations and understanding a society that has double standards that marginalizes certain voices that I have never been exposed to because I was the benefit of that society. It confirmed a lot of things I’ve suspected but never knew about. I began to be able to relate more and understand what people were saying about struggles other people were having. Like for example, what was so wrong about having an all white male cabinet? I’d wonder, ‘Oh, what is wrong with that?’ then I would hear it explained in a way that was logical — a way I never heard before, in a feminist critique. It made sense to me so I agreed with it. It all came to me through feminist thoughts and critiques. So I’d say feminism has made me a happier, more fulfilled person.”

Jonathan Pankratz: “The male culture that we live in, this patriarchy, needs to change and realize that females are no longer seen as as lesser. There’s a playing field that needs to be leveled. I came from a background of Christian belief and I’ve recently noticed how many times God is referred to as a male when its not actually true. Yes, Jesus was a male but God is larger than just gender. Feminism, I think, is an empowering movement in today’s culture. The voice needs to continue. It’s not just a passing phase, it needs to be embedded into our culture. It needs to become a voice of not only equality but empowerment as well.”

Aaron Westbury: “While I haven’t spent much time studying about the concept of feminsim, I’d like to think that I believe in its beliefs in equality and equal opportunities for women. I believe we’re currently seeing change in people’s attitudes towards this. For example, Justin Trudeau’s gender balance in his cabinets. I hope throughout my lifetime, there will be much more progression not just politically but in the rest of life for women all over the world.”

Vincent Tanciancgo: “The concept of feminism needs to be re-branded. With a bad reputation because of a bad past, it’s totally misleading.”

Justin Tanciangco: “You have to recognize how related LGBT+ rights are to feminism. We’re all fighting to be treated equally. I think feminism is kind of like a filter I use in my life. If i meet someone who identifies as a feminist, then chances are they’re also likely to be an LGBT+ ally because they understand the struggle.”