Men's Liberation
This community is first and foremost a feminist community for men and masc people, but it is also a place to talk about men’s issues with a particular focus on intersectionality.
Rules
Everybody is welcome, but this is primarily a space for men and masc people
Non-masculine perspectives are incredibly important in making sure that the lived experiences of others are present in discussions on masculinity, but please remember that this is a space to discuss issues pertaining to men and masc individuals. Be kind, open-minded, and take care that you aren't talking over men expressing their own lived experiences.
Be productive
Be proactive in forming a productive discussion. Constructive criticism of our community is fine, but if you mainly criticize feminism or other people's efforts to solve gender issues, your post/comment will be removed.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when posting:
- Build upon the OP
- Discuss concepts rather than semantics
- No low effort comments
- No personal attacks
Assume good faith
Do not call other submitters' personal experiences into question.
No bigotry
Slurs, hate speech, and negative stereotyping towards marginalized groups will not be tolerated.
No brigading
Do not participate if you have been linked to this discussion from elsewhere. Similarly, links to elsewhere on the threadiverse must promote constructive discussion of men’s issues.
Recommended Reading
- The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, And Love by bell hooks
- Politics of Masculinities: Men in Movements by Michael Messner
Related Communities
!feminism@beehaw.org
!askmen@lemmy.world
!mensmentalhealth@lemmy.world
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First off, I think I'd like to address the larger point of Lemmy's toxicity.
I think Lemmy is quite unique in that while it is fairly progressive leaning, it also may be a rather poorly socialized overall. The whole selfhost/Linux community which is at the heart of Lemmy's identity doesn't exactly have a great track record of being super thoughtful in our communications.
There's a persistent need to "be right" that is common here, because being intelligent and independent thinkers is part of our identity. But that can often manifest in toxic ways, and disrespectful communication. Many of us are trying our best to not give in to this toxicity, but it still does manifest regularly.
I think men's lib spaces tend to be a bit more respectful because they acknowledge that the patriarchy affects them negatively as well, and this diminishes the hold of toxic competitiveness.
Anyways, enough about that, and on to your question.
IMO, the best way to be a good ally is to just participate earnestly. Part of being a man who acknowledges the damages of the patriarchy also makes it hard for them to be vocal participants in women's spaces. That means that we often aren't party to women's perspectives, or don't feel comfortable requesting more information, even though we genuinely appreciate your experiences and advice.
Women as a group seem to me to have a much stronger sense of camaraderie than men. The feminist movement is also much more developed as a resistance to patriarchal forces, whereas men's lib doesn't have nearly the same depth of development, as it's a younger and less cohesive movement.
That's why, just being present and willing to share your experiences and thoughts in an open manner is so beneficial.
I’m really glad you brought this up because I feel like I haven’t been able to put my finger on precisely why I sometimes feel intimidated about joining the conversation in certain communities