Decoding Feminism
Issue 6two To all the boys...
-published SUGAR Zine is self educate o t g in im a e in z t feminis generation t x e n e h t e id u g and ghout the of activists throu orary p m e t n o c g in g n a h c everSUGAR is . t n e m e v o m t is in fem powerment, m e r o f m r o f t la p a ricted t s e r n u d n a n io t a r collabo es topics r lo p x e d n a y it iv t crea gh fashion, u o r h t ly e iv t c je b u s art and culture.
Contents Editors letter 11 Toxic Masculinity 14-19 “But I’m one of the nice guys” 32 - 35 Male Privilege 38-41
Lauren
Nto
To all the
Boys... Editors Letter Male feminists and feminist men. Do they exist? Or are they just a wolf in a feminist t-shirt? Can someone who has never experienced being a woman truly be a feminist?
trending topic of #notallmen, this issue is needed more than ever.
Immediate discourse needs to be created on how men can join the movement so I think they can. In this issue of that’s what SUAGR decided SUGAR, we’re discussing and to do. We’re discussing toxic exploring the topic of the male masculinity, how men can use feminist and what you need to their privilege to help and why do to stop the performance. you probably shouldn’t call Pull them off the stage and put yourself a ‘nice guy’ them into real life. I hope you enjoy! As always, After the death of Sarah much love, Everard and the recent
Editor-in-chief
Being socially conscious shouldn’t be rewarded (It’s the bare minimum)
Toxic Masulinity
Definition ‘A set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and on society as a whole.’ “the destructive messages associated with toxic masculinity can lead to men feeling entitled to engage in violence against women”
How does this effect me? In simpler terms, it’s the pressure placed on a man, by society, to have a strong physique, zero emotions and act in an aggressive dominant way. It’s being told to ‘man up’, being called gay for liking something slightly feminine, its ‘boys don’t cry’ and its harmful to everyone. This need for superiority and conformity to masculine behaviour puts women at risk and disregards women’s basic human rights. But why is it important? It’s important because it effectes everyone, and more than you think. It’s the root of many societal issues, such as violence against women, male
suicide rates and homophobia. But it’s hard to miss. We see it so frequently in media and pop culture that it’s become normalized. Young men are constantly presented with toxic male culture and what it’s like to be a ‘man’. It’s now so embedded within society that we don’t know any different. It’s what the patriarchy was built upon. There’s no denying that masculinity won’t disappear from our lives, but what we can do is learn to understand how that quickly becomes a dangerous thing and start to rewrite the societal norms of ‘being a man’.
Here are som ec that may he ore components lp you recog nise toxic mascu linity Toughness. T he n physically s otion that men should be trong, emot ionless and aggressive. Antifeminine . Men should reject anyth considered in feminine, su ch as showin g that it confiding in g emotion o someone for r help. Power. The b elie respected if f that men will only be they obtain power, socia financially. lly and
Toxic Masculinity Makes Me
“There is some debate about whether or not men can, and should, even call themselves feminists at all, due to the fact that they live life enjoying the privileges of being male”
“But I’m one of the nice guys”
Who would have thought it - more and more men these days are calling themselves feminists, which comes as quite the surprise considering that not too long ago most men were either repulsed by or completely uninterested in feminism. There is some debate about whether or not men can, and should, even call themselves feminists at all, due to the fact that they live life enjoying the privileges of being male. Even so, it would seem that men are finally beginning to stand up for equality and join the fight against sexism - but it’s worth considering whether this is really genuine, or yet another tactic to get women
to fancy them. While I’m sure there are men out there who have earned the right to call themselves feminists, some men use the feminist label in order to present themselves as the ‘Nice Guy’ - this let’s them get away with a lot. Sweet, often slightly nerdy, and definitely unthreatening, the ‘Nice guy’ respects women and therefore deserves their attention. The reality of the ‘Nice Guy’ has been explored in the media, most recently in feminist revenge thriller Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan. The film brilliantly deconstructs the harmless persona of the nice guy, revealing that the men who appear to be helping
and protecting women, are actually the ones who attempt to take advantage of them. There’s a pretty simple explanation for this gross behaviour: these men feel that women owe them something (usually sex), merely for acting like a decent human being. These guys never admit to doing anything wrong - most of the time they won’t take any responsibility and even play the victim when accused of overstepping the line. When the Me Too movement, or more recently issues like violence against women, are focused upon in the media, some men are quick to jump on the the hype and are the first to post about it on their social media; would these same men call out their friends who make rape jokes or slut shame women? Unfortunately, in most cases the answer is no. The sad reality is that intelligent women with strong
feminist values are bound to be impressed by these ‘good guys’ - men who are close with their mothers/ sisters, would never catcall and reject toxic masculinity. But, if you really think about it, this means that the bar is extremely low; calling yourself a feminist in order to impress women and really being an ally are two completely different things. If men really want to show up for women, it’s time they call out harmful behaviour in front of other men and stop expecting women to reward them simply for doing the bare minimum.
- Grace Fairham (Psychologist, Feminist)
Male privilege
Definition Male privilege is the system of advantages within our society, granted to men* purely based on their gender. This doesn’t mean men don’t experience hardship, and a man’s access to these benefits may vary depending on how they match up to society’s masculine norms, however, this does mean there is an enduring system of power. This benefits males at the expense of other genders. *Although while all men benefit, they don’t all benefit equally. For example, there is cis gender privilege, white privilege, hetro privilege and more.
.
like.. Male privilege looks be hired, Being more likely to and promoted
paid more, ’t make
x life doesn se e v ti c a n a g in v a H men undesirable
to beauty e er h d a to d te ec p Not being ex e.g., Shaving or , d te ec sp re e b to ideals wearing make up lone, at nighta e om h lk a w to le b Being a aulted or ss a ng ei b of r a fe t time withou attacked o housework
to d Not being expected
What can you do with your male privilege? Keep learning. Continue to learn and understand how you are benefitting from society so you can use your privilege to help the oppressed. Speak up! Call out injustice in all spaces, physical and online. Be an active advocate not just when it happens, but all the time. Call out your friends. You can’t be an ally or call yourself a feminist if you allow sexist, racist, homophobic behaviours to happen around you. Make Change. Bring women or anyone disadvantaged into spaces they are usually excluded and deprioritized from.