Menstuff® present our position statement as an organization..
Our Perspective
Oppression causes women and men to be divided and to regard each other as the "opposite" rather than the "other" sex. This reinforces mutual isolation and serves to maintain sexism.
Men are oppressed by society, and not by women and children. Women are oppressed by society, with men set-up to carry out that oppression. Therefore, eradicating sexism is in the interest of both groups. Women and men can play useful roles in one another's growth and in the elimination of sexism. Equality will be achieved most quickly and effectively in the spirit of cooperation.
Building close, mutually empowering relationships with the other sex is crucial for women's liberation as well as men's. There is nothing inherently wrong with or destructive about relationships between women and men. Difficulties are caused by oppression and its institutions rather than the inherent qualities of the individual people. They are inherently good people who have been forced to adopt harmful attitudes and behaviors (which can be unlearned).
Both women and men can play very useful roles in each other's liberation without resorting to taking care of one another in the old ways. We need to listen to each other's stories of victory and struggle with the elimination of the rigid roles into which we have been locked. We need to stop blaming each other or waiting for the other to save us.
Women and men need to eliminate any anti-male or anti-female attitudes they perpetuate. These attitudes blame the individuals and the group for the results of the harmful oppression they received as children and young people. Men would not choose to oppress women had they themselves not been oppressed and victimized. Therefore, women need to affirm men's inherent goodness and desire to treat others humanly, while insisting that men take responsibility for, and end any mistreatment. Women would never choose to hurt men were they not suffering under the devastating effects of sexism. Anti-male attitudes reinforce men's bad feelings about themselves and useless guilt about their mistreatment of women. Anti-female attitudes perpetuate sexism by reinforcing the content of women's oppression.
Women and men must expect the absolute best of each other at all times and not settle for any limitations on their own or on each other's abilities. Complete freedom from hurt and oppression is the birthright of both women and men.
There are no human enemies. Each group's liberation is interdependent with the liberation of every other group. This work is an opportunity not only to create institutional change, but to build a lasting network of loving relationships with both women and men founded on truly human interactions. We are using our ever-increasing knowledge and experience of women's and men's liberation to move toward social evolution and lasting world peace.
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