Ya But Don't You Ever Worry That Knowledge Of Social Justice Might Make Dangerous Men Appear Safe, Without

Ya but don't you ever worry that knowledge of social justice might make dangerous men appear safe, without changing them fundamentally? Like I agree that some men mostly don't know any better, and only need to be taught, but how do we teach in a way that elicits real change -- as opposed to only teaching them to avoid obviously offensive behaviors, and thereby obscuring their deeper misogyny? -diff anon

You mean how can we avoid men using progressive/feminist rhetoric as a tool to manipulate and bait women?

For me personally, it has to come in how I teach what I know. If I say “Never tell a woman she’s a bitch. It makes women mad.” It’s easy to use that to lure a woman into thinking you’re progressive. That shit is simple and easy.

A lot of what I think I tell my male friends deal not with simplistic, overarching acts, but with mindsets. I friend once who said all women are crazy and illogical. I could’ve said “Don’t say that! All women are queens!” And he could’ve repeated that verbatim and seemed reasonably safe to some women. But instead, I told him that he was taking his anger on one woman out against all women. That’s not something he can use to manipulate a woman, because it deals chiefly with him.

That’s just one example off the top of my head, but I guess my general answer is that I’ll try to educate my male friends at deeper, more personal levels.