by Sarah Sullivan

Culture Editor

Meninism. The word in itself is a source of outrage and discussion, and never fails to illicit strong emotions and opinions when discussed. Whether it be feelings of support from the anti-feminism crowd or feelings of indignation and offense from others, meninism is one of today’s most controversial subjects. Meninism surfaced around 2013, and has gained popularity through the Twitter account MeninistTweet, which primarily focuses its attention on ridiculing feminists and posting sexist jokes. Support for this form of meninism doesn’t just come from men – many girls endorse it as well. However, imagine a form of meninism which stands for the same thing feminism stands for – the equality of the sexes – while placing an emphasis on advocating for men without rights. This is something I would support.

An anti-feminist rally

Right now, feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights for political, social, and economic equality to men. It focuses on dismantling gender inequality, and, at the same time, destroying gender roles. This includes the concept of masculinity being associated with the male gender, and femininity with the female gender. This, if successful, would ultimately help men by taking down societal guidelines on how to conduct themselves. Feminism fights for men in this way. I also see support for men without equal rights, such as transgender men, queer men, disabled men, male victims of rape, men of color, and more. However, this support could be increased. It is often eclipsed by issues of inequality focused towards women, and while men generally still maintain a position of societal dominance over women, there are still men who need people to fight for their rights.

What would be a solution to a movement that would advocate for equality, and also for the equality of men without rights to those who do? The answer should be meninism. For example, strides have been made for helping female victims of rape, but male victims of rape often receive no support and outreach, and are instead questioned, ridiculed, and met with disbelief. Today’s meninism certainly doesn’t help. They are instead focused on protecting the advantages privileged men hold. The same goes for trans men. No meninism associated group has ever fought for the rights of transgender men. Transgender men are the victims of discrimination, hate, and violence. Twenty three transgender people have been murdered this year, and the number continues to rise.

Racism is also still prevalent in today’s society. It affects both men and women, and is often ignored in debates about sexism. For example, it is almost common knowledge that a white woman earns 78 cents to a white man’s dollar, but it often goes unmentioned that black women only get 64 cents, and hispanic women 54 cents. Men of color also face this racism. Black men are only paid 75.1 cents to a white man’s dollar– even less than a white woman. Hispanic men are only paid 67.2 cents. Men of color are at a disadvantage to more privileged white men.

While many more examples of disparity can be brought up, the point is clear that men with less rights must have support in order to ensure equality for all. Right now, this support only comes from feminist groups, yet even more can be done if an organization designed to help men without rights was formed. If it was, it would surely gain the support of many people willing to help establish equal rights for everyone, male or female.