Can Feminism Cannibalize It’s Allies?

As a male I have what I think is a certain amount of trepidation when it comes to the idea of Feminism. At its base level I understand it. I believe wholeheartedly that women are indeed equal to men. I believe that women should fight against all injustices that they see before them and eventually prevail. I also believe that men should be an ally or even confidants in that fight. But, I can't help but notice a short of sharpening of the sword when it comes to that fight. This sharpening has not taken place by the hands of men who somehow have taken it upon themselves to run with the mantle of equality, but by women. Even the very idea of writing this blog makes me leary of some impending doom. Something which will crush my meager male understanding into powder and scatter me upon the sea of "Mansplaining" bigots with good intentions.

Has feminism been high jacked by the stridency of some of its practitioners?

I ask this question not in an effort to thwart the movement (as if I could) or even to downplay the strides that have been made thus far by so many women whom I could never begin to measure up to. I say this because in my sphere of friendship, when we gather for birthday parties or dinners, when we share Facebook posts or comment on one another's threads, the language among my feminist friends has become harsh, even dismissive.

Recently, while having a tit for tat about the idea of sexual harassment in the workplace I noticed that the exchange began to bend toward the ignorance of the male ally. Perhaps this was a rightful tone. I am no expert in the Feminist Movement. I am not steeped in woman's suffrage, the works of Gloria Steinem or Audre Lorde; all I do know is that if any movement is to become one of intersectionality or cast a wider berth, there will come a time where those of us who represent the problem must not fear the opportunity to fail. This failure is not complicated. This failure does not entail some rogue tweet misinterpreted by the masses, or some chuckle placed in conversation where a disapproving grunt would do. This failure is simply being incorrect. I want to be allowed to say the wrong thing and be bombarded with non confrontational correction by my female counterparts. I want to sit at the feet of those with a greater understanding of the issues and be corrected without the patina of intellectual superiority looming in the background.

I will continue to be an ally. I will do my best to combat sexism in all of its forms, whether that is on the street, in the classroom, or in my own psyche. My one ask is that as the hand of injustice turns the pages of a book named Justice I will at least be allowed to re-read the parts that I did not understand, without being looked upon like the slow kid in class who's holding up the others.