We are building a multiracial movement of men working to fight for democratic values, nonviolence, and reproductive justice.

* We are gathering names & email addresses in order to build a membership list for actions such as petitions, open letters, & to announce events. Per our privacy policy, we will not share this info with third parties.
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Our Mission

Men for Democracy is an online activist organization and guerilla think tank that helps men as men fight for an expansive, inclusive, and participatory American democracy at a time when growing authoritarianism and political violence imperils that vital project.

We seek to provide a platform and voice for men from a multitude of political persuasions who nonetheless believe in basic concepts of gender and racial justice, and want to advance those concepts in the political arena.

The idea is to generate ideas and catalyze a national conversation about the ways in which men — especially but not exclusively white men — can advocate for their own rights and dignity while simultaneously supporting the advancement of women, people of color, and LGBTQ people.

 

We also hope to create an online space and social media presence that offers suggestions and support for men — and anyone else — who wants to move beyond the current impasse in our politics. The political polarization that defines our era is not due solely to the clash of competing ideologies. It is also caused by rapid changes in gender and sexual norms, which in turn have prompted a powerful and increasingly violent backlash, led mostly by men. This is a deeply unwise and destructive path; we can and must do better. 

 

Over the past decade there has been a badly needed and wholly welcome surge in women’s political activity, which includes a dramatic increase in the number of women running for office from every ethnic and racial background. Just the same, because so much of the momentum behind attacks on democracy has come from men, including men in right-wing media who use the predictable tactic of presenting themselves as “real men” and their opponents as “soft” and “weak,” we believe it is necessary to provide a voice for men with less cartoonish and more expansive views about strength and moral selfhood.

 

We will do this, in part, by using social media and other tools in the virtual universe (e.g. a website, YouTube videos, podcast appearances) to draw attention to the ways in which dramatic social change in recent decades has sewn widespread doubt and confusion among many men about what it means to “be a man,” and how regressive right-wing political movements have exploited the resulting feelings of unease by doubling down on tired, old, and discredited ideas about “manhood.”

 

 

One of the most disturbing recent developments in American politics is the increasing use of violent rhetoric in political speech, as well as incidents of actual violence that are designed to counteract democratic processes. The violent insurrection on January 6, 2021 is the most high-profile example, but before that disturbing event it had already become routine for protesters at State Houses to arrive in full military gear carrying semi-automatic firearms.

 

 

The vast majority of political violence is committed by men — including the disturbingly common incidence of violence directed toward women in politics. Because the men who threaten or use violence to advance their political agenda typically draw on deeply gendered cultural ideas about men as “defenders” of a “way of life” or the nation itself, it is even more important that men who reject violence speak out to offer alternative views about what it means to be a responsible man in a democratic society in the 21st century.

 

 

Finally, abundant voting and polling data demonstrate clearly that the alarming slide in this country toward autocracy and/or some form of “illiberal democracy” has been facilitated by the sometimes-overwhelming majorities of (mostly white) male voters who vote for authoritarian right-wing candidates and back efforts to suppress voting rights for historically marginalized groups. Using creative tactics of political outreach and guerilla marketing, it is our intent to expose the regressive ideas about “manhood” that underlie this anti-democracy movement, thus depriving it of one of its most potent recruiting and organizing tools.

 

Men for Democracy is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the many ways in which men can and do play a constructive, forward-looking role in addressing these and many other pressing matters in our politics and society.   

Frontline Agenda

MEN FOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Men for Reproductive Justice

Abortion rights and reproductive justice are issues of basic human rights and bodily autonomy for women and others with the capacity to become pregnant. It is therefore not a coincidence that abortion is legal in the vast majority of democratic societies, and illegal in most autocratic ones. The movement for reproductive justice has long been led by a multiracial, multiethnic collective of women. The vast majority of passionate activists are women. But men have a vital role to play as well. 

RESOURCES

For the past half-century, millions of men have supported women’s right to choose, both in their private lives and at the ballot box. Some have donated money. Some have participated in public demonstrations, including the historic Women’s Marches in 2017 that were attended by hundreds of thousands of men. Many other men have provided personal assistance and care for women close to them who have experienced unintended pregnancies and needed access to a comprehensive range of medical care and services. But nowhere near enough of them have made this issue a priority.

Since an activist right-wing U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022, the women-led reproductive justice movement has gathered significant momentum. One of its main goals is to mobilize pro-choice voters – including young people – to use their power at the ballot box. Men for Democracy will highlight the need for men – including young men – to make reproductive justice a central factor in their choice of whether and how to get involved politically, and which candidates/parties to support.

DEMOCRACY VS. AUTHORITARIANISM
Democracy vs. Authoritarianism

Democracy is under threat in the U.S. and Europe from extremist right-wing populist movements that have sought to roll back democratic progress with ethno-nationalist and racist appeals. But right-wing populism also attracts support from men — especially white men — who feel disrespected and left behind by the advancement of women and societal progress on LGBTQ rights and inclusivity. Sadly — especially in light of 20th century history — it is more than apparent that many men (and some women) find comfort in regressive “strongman” politics and the very conservative gender norms that underlie them. Men for Democracy was founded, in part, to push back against the idea that authoritarian governance is a reasonable — or rational — solution to the problems of complex societies with great racial, sexual, and gender diversity. Men who embrace democracy, in all its messiness and with all of its challenges, have an important role to play in the struggle against authoritarianism. We need more of their voices in public discourse, especially because extremist right-wing movements have successfully convinced millions of working and lower-middle-class white men to support plutocratic rule by appealing to their sense of “”aggrieved entitlement.” As real wages decline and income inequality grows, these men have been told repeatedly in right-wing media echo chambers that feminists, multiculturalists and other “woke” social justice warriors are the source of their problems, rather than concentrated corporate power and other conservative macroeconomic forces.   

RESOURCES

We want to help tell a different story: how those same men can embrace the possibilities of co-creating a more inclusive future, rather than leaning back on old, backward-looking definitions of “manhood” that don’t meet the moment.

DENOUNCING MISOGYNY & VIOLENCE IN POLITICS
Denouncing Violence & Misogyny in Politics

Violence and overt displays of misogyny in American political rhetoric and practice have increased markedly in recent years. Even before the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, it had become routine for far-right militias and other men in military-style gear to appear at protests outside State Houses across the country, armed with semi-automatic firearms. There has also been a notable uptick in openly misogynous and violent rhetoric directed specifically toward women politicians. This use of violence and violent intimidation in politics is antithetical to democratic norms and incompatible with a functioning democracy. 

RESOURCES

Men commit the overwhelming majority of political violence.  But very little mainstream commentary about the rise of political violence in the U.S. explores the gendered dimensions of this violence – and how cultural beliefs about “manhood” factor in. Whether they act as individuals or as part of right-wing militias,  men on the right who use violence are often motivated by the belief that “real men” are authorized to use violence when necessary to protect their families and their country. In a much smaller number of cases, some men on the left attempt to justify their use of violence as a tactic of self-defense against unchecked alliances of corporate and state power. Men for Democracy was founded in part to provide a voice for men who do not accept these sorts of self-serving rationalizations, and who denounce the use of violence in politics as not only counter-productive, but as threats to democracy itself. 

SUPPORTING ANTI-SEXIST MEN AS CANDIDATES & PUBLIC OFFICIALS
Supporting anti-sexist men as candidates & public officials

Many men are uncertain — in a time of rapidly shifting cultural, gender, and sexual norms —  about how to exercise strong, self-assured, and proactive leadership on all sorts of potentially complex and sensitive issues that include women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and racial justice. Men for Democracy aspires to be a resource for men in politics and public life — from every ethnic, racial, and religious background — who want to be powerful leaders and profeminist allies, but sometimes lack the skills and confidence to do so effectively. We want this site to be a place these leaders can go for ideas, support, and connection to others with similar goals.

RESOURCES

We plan to develop, distribute, and link to resources for individuals and groups that are engaged in electoral politics and/or social justice work. The  goal is to assist them in creating positive and inclusive campaign messaging and outreach to men — especially but not exclusively white men — who have felt uncomfortable, uncertain, or alienated from either mainstream politics or progressive social movements. 

ENCOURAGING MEDIA COVERAGE OF MASCULINITIES & POLITICS
Encouraging media coverage of masculinities & politics

Media coverage of gender and politics typically focuses on the many ways in which women — as voters, donors, candidates, and public officials — continue to transform American politics. At the same time, commentators in mainstream and progressive media rarely make visible the many ways in which gender plays out for men. For example, narratives about “manhood” are central to political struggles and campaigns on key issues such as gun rights vs. safety, mass incarceration, policing, voting rights, education, the care economy, military spending, and “free speech.” But this often goes unmentioned. Men for Democracy will urge pundits and political analysts to step up their game and expand their analytic lens in order to discuss many of the critical aspects of masculinities and politics. The need to do so is especially urgent with the rise of right-wing populism, “strongman” politics, and the increased presence and even glorification of violence in political life. Fortunately, over the past few decades an outpouring of research, writing, and analysis about multiracial masculinities has shed considerable light on what is going on in men’s lives — personally and politically — including brilliant work done by feminist political scientists and others. It is long past time that political journalists recognize and engage with this work and incorporate it into their reporting and analysis.

RESOURCES

FAQ

"We seek to provide a voice for men in American political life who have less cartoonish and more expansive ideas about strength and moral selfhood."

- Jackson Katz, Founder

The pursuit and promotion of democracy is obviously bigger than gender. But the rationale for this group is to give voice to men across the political spectrum who have watched quietly and with growing trepidation since the emergence of Trumpism as democratic norms have eroded in favor of the appeal of “strongmen” leaders. We aim to push back against right-wing political leaders and media figures who mock and demean men who support gender equality, common-sense gun safety measures, and democratic values in general – and to provide a vehicle for men who reject one-dimensional and outmoded expressions of men’s strength.

Absolutely. Anyone who wants to advance the goals we’re working toward is welcome.

Some white men do have a powerful voice, but all too often the white men whose voices ring the loudest in American politics and media are ones who support right-wing authoritarianism. A major purpose of this group is to provide a vehicle for men who passionately support the aspirations of working and middle-class people but reject authoritarian populism as not only harmful to those aspirations, but also antithetical to American values.

This group welcomes anyone across the political spectrum that shares our goals and vision for participatory democracy and against authoritarianism, white supremacy, and fascism. Unfortunately, the Republican Party under the sway of Donald Trump and others is disproportionately responsible for engineering threats to democracy and for the growing incidence of violence in political life.

Because bans or severe restrictions on abortion rights are incompatible with democratic ideals and human rights. And because men are directly involved in creating pregnancies – before, during, and after the fact. And because abortion is an economic and therefore a family issue –
and most men are members of households and families.

They can speak out as men about threats to liberal democracy. They can make clear that they reject violent rhetoric or behavior in politics – online and off. They can support their women friends and colleagues – personally and professionally — who seek to get involved in the political
process but are often subject to bullying, harassment, and threats of violence. They can push back when people in right-wing media, social media, or other parts of social life (absurdly) mock the manhood of men who support liberal and progressive politics.

We are compiling a membership list so we can provide occasional updates, and let people know when we circulate petitions, write open letters, and organize other actions. 

Countless men are already engaged in pro-democracy work in the US and globally, whether in support of human rights, voting rights, electoral reform, anti-violence initiatives, and many other endeavors. But in most cases they are not organizing as “men,” but rather as concerned citizens, social justice activists, partisans, etc.  We think it is important  for men to speak specifically as men, in part to provide a countervailing voice against the notion that “real men” naturally support regressive, authoritarian, and anti-democratic political formations.

Join us in standing up for democratic values.

* We are gathering names & email addresses in order to build a membership list for actions such as petitions, open letters, & to announce events. Per our privacy policy, we will not share this info with third parties.
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