Tamika D. Mallory, one of the co-chairs of the upcoming Women’s March on Washington, has stated that the march “is not anti-Trump.” Even if we believed that for a second, the message seems to have been lost on many of the women publicizing the event on social media — something tells us there will be more than a few anti-Trump signs in the crowd.
Another message that seems to have been lost, even after a rebranding from the “Million Women March,” is that the Women’s March on Washington isn’t intended for women only. Michael Alison Chandler wrote in the Washington Post earlier this week that just a tiny fraction of the people signed up for the event on Facebook appear to be men. Why so little support?
https://twitter.com/feministabulous/status/819305982866165762
Is it considered unmasculine to march on behalf of women’s rights? Alex Mohajer, co-founder of Bros 4 Hillary, thinks that “if you outwardly support a woman,” there’s a sense that “you are less deserving of your man stripes.”
Jackson Katz, author of “Man Enough? Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and the Politics of Presidential Masculinity,” blames Trump himself in part for the slow signup of male marchers. Chandler notes, “Katz attributes the more muffled support among men in part to efforts that Trump and other Republicans have made to challenge the masculinity of men who support liberal causes or women in leadership.”
So, are men afraid of having their man cards revoked if they’re seen marching on the National Mall in the Women’s March on Washington? Or is it possible that a lot of men just assume something called a women’s march is a march intended for women?
Recommended
I think many men assume the "Women's March" is supposed to be women-only, which is why it was a bad name for the main anti-Trump march. https://t.co/9OTwkBzLEP
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 11, 2017
Hey, can’t you read? “This effort is not anti-Trump.”
C'mon, Jon. It's really easy to find out that men are welcome. Why are you uneasy that it's led by women?
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) January 12, 2017
Yes, Jonathan Chait … why do you hate women?
I'm not uneasy. Please stop inventing motivations. For many people, the name of the march is the only information they'll get.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 12, 2017
Well, now you can use your platform to let men know they're welcome. Simple.
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) January 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/feministabulous/status/819626112401731584
1 it's a branding question. Many will assume "women's march" is for women.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 12, 2017
It’s a fair point. Pasty white progressives have never hesitated to crash #BlackLivesMatter marches, so are men just unaware they’re invited?
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/819674095570812928
Hearing from some liberal men that the label "Women's March" is bad, because men don't know they're included. Men, you're included!
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) January 12, 2017
If it requires clarification, it's a bad name.
— The D Chronicles, LLC. (@DBagChron) January 12, 2017
It's logical that attendance will be smaller because of that confusion/ambivalence–fair to say not smart pr.
— Richard Yeselson (@yeselson) January 12, 2017
It’s the old rock and a hard place scenario: if a man crashes a women’s march, is he being outwardly supportive of women’s rights or subconsciously chauvinistic, assuming that men are needed to legitimize the proceedings?
Why do you assume attendance will be low if men don't show up? Can there not be a lot of women?
— Barbara Weinreich (@BLWwriter) January 12, 2017
There are many men participating. Just because it is being led and organized by women doesn't make it "bad". Grow up boys.
— CJ (@pnwrunnerlass) January 12, 2017
Well, many men are idiots. https://t.co/Tpa7pNUjXV
— Kaili Joy Gray (@KailiJoy) January 12, 2017
You can either try to optimize the number of attendees at the march of blame half them for being unwoke, idiots, etc. What's the priority? https://t.co/yB8jQ4FbQC
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 12, 2017
My explanation for this result is that many men will only hear the name and conclude it's a march for women, not for all Trump critics.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 12, 2017
Um, “This effort is not anti-Trump.”
I'm seeing a lot of moralizing at non-attendees, or at me for pointing out that branding matters if you want to attract big numbers.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) January 12, 2017
Moralizing from liberals? No way.
https://twitter.com/wa7iut/status/819683746693533696
Generic label like that reinforces belief the problem is politicians in both parties, not Trump and GOP.
— Donna Gratehouse (@DonnaDiva) January 12, 2017
Yeah, we’re getting a strong feeling this whole effort is very much anti-Trump despite what the organizers have said.
So, did we ever figure out why men have been slow to sign up for the Women’s March on Washington?
a good majority of men truly don't care. We just don't care
— SeñorHenry17 (@lordhenry17) January 10, 2017
Join the conversation as a VIP Member