You can be an ally. You cannot be a feminist, that means having a voice in the fight for female liberation from male oppression. It makes no sense to give voice to men (the oppressors) in feminism (liberation from men)
Just like straight people can only be allies to the LGB. I'm bisexual, therefore those are my rights to fight for. You can be an ally. I'm white passing, but not white, so I do have a voice in ending institutional racism, but I need to always be mindful of my white passing privilege and I will never take up resources for PoC.
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Oh, FFS. The more people who agree that women are human, that QUILTBAG people are human, and that all ancestories of people are human the better.
In other words, nobody should fight for anything unless it is of personal benefit to themselves. Well, that's a.... a.... a completely selfish and disfunctional view of the universe, which fortunately does not work that way except in republican politics.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.
I don't think you need to worry about too many men wanting to be your ally.
Feminism is for men. They too are hurt by the patriarchy and oppressive gender norms. If the patriarchy were to actually disappear, we would see more men in direct care roles like nurse, early childhood educator, or social worker. Men who were interested in working with children would not automatically be looked at with suspicion because caring roles would not be seen as "women's work."
I would also add that as a person with a disability, I want TABs to work on accessibility issues. I shouldn't have to. Early in my career, I did not want to do this work. I just wanted to live my life. As I've gotten older I've seen a lot of shit not get done, and decided if I wanted it done, i needed to do it myself. However, I shouldn't have to be one of the few librarians working in accessibility. So, yes all movement needs allies because some people just want to live their life.
Pro-Tip: allies generally like to be treated as allies and not junior partners that have to kowtow to the leaders. If you want to say that men can be allies to women, but that men aren't women, that's fine (though knowing radfems there'd absolutely be some trans phobic subtext there). But if you run a ideology the same way, and worse, make sure that your allies know that they are in a lesser position at every opportunity, than that's not having allies, it's having yes men.
Straight people cannot be LGBT+ simply because the definition of LGBT+ specifically excludes them.
Whether or not men can be feminist depends on how you define the term, but most definitions I've heard make it a philosophy wherein belief in it is not dependent on one's physical sex.
That implies I want to join a movement that views me and other neurodivergent men as a predator or a creep, as little better than a beast to be kept away from others for their own good.
Protip: I don't. Fight your own fight for all I care.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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