Random Question

[danalwyn]

So, if a feminist is someone who works to forward, or supports, the doctrine of equal rights and opportunities for women (according to the base definition), what would be the equivalent title for someone who works or supports the doctrine of equal rights for men?

I need a good word. Male-rights activist just doesn't seem to be cutting it.

ETA: Explanation appearing in next post.

Comments

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

I think an enlightened human supports equal rights for everyone. I'd suggest "human."

[madra-liath.livejournal.com]

what would be the equivalent title for someone who works or supports the doctrine of equal rights for men?

Redundant?

[moon-very-thin.livejournal.com]

"Male-rights activist" is so far from cutting it, it's like trying to cut it with a sponge.

I've come across MRA websites on the net, and they are scary, intimidating, nests of misgyny. You don't want to go anywhere near that label.

My own opinion is that you can't have a male equivalent of feminism. It's like having a white equivalent of the black equal rights movement, or a heterosexual version of Gay Pride parades. You can stand against gender-based discrimination, which can happen to men as well as women, but you can't have a male "equivalent" to feminism society isn't drenched in narratives which code men as inferior.

[moon-very-thin.livejournal.com]

A "because" fell out of that last sentence. Sorry.

[mergle.livejournal.com]

I'm going to agree with moon_very_thin - MRA has a completely different meaning in our culture, so even though I see the context has nothing to do with our society, I think it's better to use another term. (Perhaps that's why you're asking for another term in the first place?)

Other possibilities for this context that to my knowledge don't have nasty our-society meanings: male liberation movement/activists, male equality movement, male egalitarians, the gender equality movement... or perhaps give one of the groups a proper name.

I thought about the term masculinism, which could conceivably have developed in the discussed society to have the analogous meaning to feminism in our own, but because our culture's attitudes towards the sexes are reflected in the English language, the term doesn't _feel_ all that parallel to me, even in the context of what you're writing. Maybe "equigenderism" would be less odd-feeling.

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

Hmm...those aren't bad suggestions. The only problem is that I was hoping for something that would flow off the tongue better. After all, feminist is fairly short and direct, and has just three syllables, where equigenderist would be a much more complicated thing to say, and would probably develop its own slang word before long. I just have to figure out what the word is.

I guess the problem with writing about non-English things in English is that the language does not mean what it says on the box, and you have to spend a lot of time jumping around to make sure you don't bring unfortunate real-world connotations.