Early FeminIst Identification-A-Go-Go

I grew up surrounded by women - sisters, aunts and cousins. I also saw a lot more of my mother than my father, who frequently worked six days a week and many evenings.

However, at the same time, I was also cautious and shy around girls all the way through school. As a reasonably thoughtful and sensitive boy/young man I lacked the bravado to approach or talk to girls, yet still somehow identified with their social networks and - most importantly - the times when I  felt they were hard done by or verbally attacked by boys. God, I hated that.

It struck me as unjust, and still does. Words matter, and so do the attitudes that justify them. In these personal pre-punk-years my feelings of anger first surfaced through what I saw as the harassment of young women. However inarticately, I felt strongly that a verbal attack on a girl was an attack on me.

At the time I didn't have the tools to truly understand what was going on, but these visceral, instinctive feelings have lasted for over 30 years and are still my teacher and guide today. Of course, visceral feelings alone won't take a young man far, I still had a lot to learn. And as a shy boy with an instinctive empathy and attraction to women there were several barriers and missteps to come. But as I type this - at 46 years old - I know I was right. The abuse and pressure placed on women throughout society and throughout history is still under-acknowledged and belittled as a subject worthy of attention. And that is not only wrong but twists all of humanity out of shape.

There are many angles on this subject, from justice to sexuality, from psychology to ecology, from spirituality to economics. But I wish to initially focus on personal ethics and behaviour. To that end, I will continue relating my personal journey to share some of the complexities intrinsic in the journey of the male feminist.

In due course, and with the scene set, I will move onto broader questions of masculine feminist identity - what it might look like, how it might work in practice, and how we can encourage it to flourish. But that is a few daily posts away.

If you have read this and feel motivated to comment please do. It would be lovely (and unexpected) to see a small community grow out of these daily missives. Bye for now.