Why Men Who Support Women’s Issues Don’t Support The New Feminism
For starters — we’ve been told not to
I was raised by a strong woman. My parents got divorced when I was 8 years old, mainly due to my father’s heavy drinking and carousing.
When he moved out, he remained in my life, but I only went to visit him every other weekend, so the lion’s share of parental responsibilities fell on my mom’s shoulders.
My sister, who was three years older, often declined to go visit my father — who seemed indifferent about her decision.
From an early age, I developed a mistrust of paternal figures like clergy, principals, coaches, and male authority in general. I saw the damage that my father’s drinking and verbal abuse caused — while watching my mother work two jobs to raise my sister and me and keep a roof over our heads.
It was clear to me which person — and which gender — was the strongest, most trustworthy, and most loving.
This was the early 1980s, and the now iconic film “9 to 5” starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin was a huge hit.
It was a comedy about women in the workplace — which had now become the norm — and the sexism and disrespect they…
