Content Warning: mentions of r*pe and sexual assault
This is a phrase we repeatedly hear from the ‘good’ men who feel their “reputation and integrity are being hurt by our generalist claims”, since they haven’t sexually assaulted or raped anyone.
However, this discussion is not about those ‘good’ men. We are not talking about men as individuals; we know that not all men are rapists or sexual harassers. However, we often find ourselves on the side of caution because it’s simply too many men, and we often find ourselves not knowing which men are safe and which aren’t.
This comes down to structural issues in our patriarchal society, institutions, and systems. Cisgender men have the most privilege in society, by simply existing. No one is to blame for this, but it is something that must be acknowledged and understood. Those who interrupt the conversation to remind us “not all men” are removing themselves from the important discussions about female oppression and are instead making it about their own feelings. These ‘good’ men want to exempt themselves from how the patriarchal society treats women, just because they have had the humanity and morals to not assault a woman. However, these men also completely ignore how they benefit from our patriarchal society and shake off any responsibility in propagating its existence. In being ignorant, this proves that self-proclaimed ‘good’ men aren’t as innocent as they claim.
Written by Chahak Saraogi
Artwork by Zara Masood
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