Male feminist allies of the Labour movement: you can do better

In a lot of ways, this has been a fantastic week for feminism. The 8th amendment of the Irish Constitution has been overwhelmingly repealed via popular vote and Harvey Weinstein is being charged for rape and abuse. As for the former, this is a long overdue reform that many in the Labour Party have been pursuing for some time. As for the latter, this vile excuse for a man has terrorised countless women in Hollywood and deserves the full weight of the law to be rained down upon him. I, like many other left-leaning men, are delighted Weinstein is being charged, with the hope that at the very least his victims can have the knowledge that he is not getting off scot-free, even if this does nothing to numb their pain.

This being said, I increasingly fear a sense of complacency amongst men on the left. There is a general feeling that being on the left, and thus committed to the pursuit of equality, means we are immune to charges of sexism, or passively standing by in its presence. I don’t think that level of complacency is justified within our movement.

I have seen countless men on the left tweeting their support for #RepealThe8th, their condemnation of Weinstein, and their support of the #MeToo movement. I identify as a feminist, as do many men I know. However, supporting the #MeToo movement and others is not nearly enough to wear that badge. We must do more.

I have grown increasingly aware that as men on the left, we are more than accomplished at turning up for the big occasions. We call out the major national and international sexist injustices, we use the right hashtags and we say the right things, but how often does this translate into our daily lives?

How many men do you know who call out sexism on social media, but have nothing to say about the underrepresentation of women in trade unions? How many men do you know who changed their profile pictures to mark International Women’s Day, but say nothing about the ‘locker-room’ talk that takes place among some activists? How many men do you know who talk about gender equality, but do nothing in the face of male ‘socialists’ who shout down women in CLP meetings and overlook lazy sexism within their local parties? If I were a betting man, I’d wager your answer would be too many to count.

To be clear, this is not an ‘attack on all men’, as pieces of this nature are so often interpreted. I accept that not every man is a raging misogynist, but you don’t get any medals for hijacking debates about women’s issues for pointing out that fact, and it’s the sort of patriarchal whatabouttery that so often obstructs progress. This is not a lecture or a sermon; nor is it aimed at the aforementioned raging misogynists – they are a lost cause. This is as much self-reflective as it is outward-looking. I’m talking to men like me within the labour movement who declare themselves feminists. I’m asking us to take a look at ourselves and question whether we are doing enough to deserve to wear that badge of honour.

Yes, we can add our voices to the ocean of those calling out Weinstein. We can march against Trump for his blatant sexism. We can push for more female world leaders and we can campaign for abortion rights. But feminism isn’t a cause that you can pursue with the odd tweet and campaign here and there. Feminism is a constant struggle for gender equality, and if we are not combating sexism in our day-to-day lives, then we are not fighting the same fight.

I put my hands up, I have been guilty of not doing enough. I can think of many occasions when I have ‘kept the peace’ or avoided an awkward conversation rather than confronting a mate for the way they’ve spoken about women, or challenging an activist for speaking over a woman. Sadly, I have been witness to more sexism within the Labour Party than I think ought to exist in any party, and even more disappointingly, I can recall occasions when I have done so almost passively.

The Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement has the potential to be a watershed moment for the progression of gender equality. But men, let’s not just tweet our support and solidarity, let’s use this moment to take pause and reflect on our own roles in this movement. Let’s be honest with ourselves about the times we have overlooked sexism in our own lives and within the party we fight for, and let’s pledge to do better.

I have to reiterate, feminism is not a hobby. If we do not commit to it daily, we’re not furthering the cause. Call out casual sexism, have those difficult conversations with our mates and fellow members – let’s not just talk about standing with women; let’s act. Feminism must be an utmost priority of the Labour Party, or we are in the wrong place. We have a role to play in furthering the struggle for equality, and I know for a fact that I, and so many other men, have not been holding up our end of the bargain. It’s time we changed that.