Support for No Pretence Intervention

Icon_article Star-blue1 Published: July 20, 2009 23:14 by London profeminist mens group

Tagged as: anarchism anarcho-femminism gender no-pretence
Neighbourhoods: london

The London Profeminist Men's Group (LPMG) wishes to thank and support the Anarcha-Feminists who made the "We Make No Pretence" intervention at the Anarchist Conference 2009.

The members of the London Profeminist Men's Group cannot in anyway claim that they are less sexist than any men or anyone out there, whether inside or outside the anarchist scene. But we wish more men were interested in getting involved in discussion and consciousness raising groups that are here for us to work on our internal sexism and gender role and how it affects our lives and our everyday interaction with other people.

Oppression systems are everywhere. As individuals, we are sometimes on the good side of the power balance, sometimes on the bad side... It is more than time for everyone, including inside the anarchist movement, to get ready to be challenged. To stop "pretending nothing was said" and start asking why we're getting challenged by oppressed people. In this respect, white heterosexual men have to make lots of efforts. This is not about guilt. This is about realising our position in oppressive systems and taking responsibility for it.

Thanks to the group of Anarcha-Feminists for such a powerful and meaningful intervention. We do believe the "movement" needs to be shaken up.
We welcome the "Make no pretence" statement as well as the second statement written in response to the big reaction that the intervention provoked.

Finally, we condemn all hostility, intimidation and sexist reaction that the intervention has provoked.

Links:

Link_go http://londonprofeministmensgroup.blogspot.com

Link_go http://nopretence.wordpress.com

Email Contact email: londonprofeministmensgroup at gmail dot com

Additions

question

Comment Published: July 21, 2009 14:36 by name

why 'pro-feminist' ? can men not be feminists anymore?! news to me.

to name

Comment Published: July 21, 2009 21:11 by papidan

thats a very good point. we've been struggling with that since we started :) An angle on this was published on our blog by two members of the group:
* If feminism is women's liberation movement, then it must be women only. Men involved in women's liberation movement would be problematic because it would be very patronizing ("we'll liberate you").
* Also, by calling what they are doing "feminist", men appropriate what belongs to women. It is argued that "feminist" is a term that ought to be reserved for those who have lived the embodied experience of growing up female and choose to resist the oppression that they experience as a result of this fact. Those who support that struggle should not colonise the term feminist but instead call themselves "pro-feminist" as their struggle is not the same as that of "feminists".
* Alternatively, men can be feminists if feminism means being anti-patriarchy (bell hooks). Patriarchy is seen as the system of binary gender that oppresses everyone, albeit to very different extents, and anyone who resists this system of oppression can legitimately call themselves a feminist.
* Seen more pragmatically, men need to be somehow involved in feminism for it to achieve its goals, because men are the ones who need to change the most.

What do you think?

well..

Comment Published: July 27, 2009 14:58 by name

well what do i know i've never been involved in any groups like this..i happen to be of the view that all male or all female or all lesbain/queer/tans groups are not particularly useful. same goes for churches/mosques etc the great thing about unitarian universalist churches in the US is they allow all to come so you even get atheists dropping in just to talk/discuss and be friends etc...i know churches etc in england claim all are welcome but we know this is not the case...

i don't see it as patronising for men to be involved in women's liberation particularly but i guess im some sort of utopian as i link womens liberation in with generally the liberation of all and dont see it as a one singular thing that will happen independantly and isolated of other things but according to the recent anarchist thing this makes me a sexist bastard..ho hum..

again i don't feel men appropriate something that 'belongs' to women for the same reason.

'' "pro-feminist" as their struggle is not the same as that of "feminists". ''
every human is unique and faces different struggles in different ways at different times. doesnt mean we all need to have different sub-categories in my view. we are all unique and united together against certain oppresive structures. unless we want to see fragmented peoples front of the front of the judean front popping up all over. dare i say...relax?

i agree that patriachy oppresses both sexes in different ways and to different degrees. this is the key. both genders, all of humanity suffers from illegitamate systems of power such as patriachy so all must unite to oppose it. feminism is a word and nothing more. if the word is used to mean those who oppose patriachy actively then yes i am one yes i am male yes i have and will make mistakes as women who are feminists will also none of us are 'cleansed' of patriachy and all of us feel its affects or are oppressed by it as i say to different degrees and in different ways whether this be the most physicalally obvious in the rape of a woman or something different such as a mental or psycological thing often to men, maybe even the one who raped her, he felt the need to due to the pressures patriachal society put on him to 'get laid' unless we think there are just 'pure evil bastards' out there who rape because they were born 'that way'...and no i am not saying rape is legitamte or excusing it it is not...also i am not attempting to quantify or say whos more oppressed or any of that shit i merely agree that both male and female can be feminists just as any skin colour person can be an anti racist and so on though at different times the people with one skin colours struggle may be different form that of another skin colour doesnt mena one should be ''anti racist '' and the other ''pro anti racist'' does it now...these things are best talked about in person i dont explain myself to well..but anyway good luck with your group i guess