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Kyle Ashlee has studied and taught about gender dynamics for years. Here are the 7 women he recommends all men follow on Twitter.
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We all have them. Those amazing women who lead, inspire, challenge, and support us. No matter who you are, there has probably been a woman somewhere along the way who has made your life better.
While many of these heroines are people that we know personally, there are countless women who enrich our lives from a distance through their art, activism, and writing. The digital world of social media has revealed yet another medium through which influential women are changing lives and the time has come to recognize just a few of those dynamic thought leaders.
While certainly not exhaustive, the following list highlights seven women in no particular order whom I believe all good men should follow. Their voices are courageous and their messages are powerful. Their work encourages us to reflect on our own attitudes and behaviors in the process of becoming better men. These women go out of their way to shed light on ways we can be more thoughtful, caring, and inclusive. For all of that and more, these are the seven women I think all men should follow on Twitter.
1. Black Girl Dangerous (@BlackGirlDanger)
I first discovered Black Girl Dangerous through her blog post, No More “Allies.” As someone who works hard at being a positive male ally, I found her message hard to swallow at first. But as someone who works with allies, it’s not her job to sugarcoat every hard truth for me. It’s also not her job to congratulate every well-intentioned person for trying to do the right thing.
As men, we have to choose to be allies to women regardless of whether or not they thank us. Allyship is not a badge we wear, but an action we take. Black Girl Dangerous reminds me that being a good man is a journey that requires vulnerability, honesty, and commitment.
Black Girl Dangerous is a fearless truth-teller who strives to give voice to queer and trans* people of color. If you don’t already follow her revolutionary work on Twitter, you should. Also, check out her blog at www.blackgirldangerous.org or read one of her books.
2. Suey Park (@suey_park)
You may remember the trending topic #NotYourAsianSidekick that rocked the Twitterverse in December of 2013. Suey Park, a writer and activist, was behind the movement to start conversations about Asian American feminism. Not only does Park raise interesting questions about how women of color have been invited into the feminist conversation, she tackles traditional standards of beauty that have negative impacts on women and body image.
Recently, Suey Park began a conversation among her Twitter followers about men’s role in feminism and the work we still have to do in order to be true allies to women. Her words are often strong reminders that men’s socialization to be stoic and void of emotions, while real, cannot be an excuse for unloving behavior toward women.
Advocating for Asian American women, Suey Park unapologetically elevates the feminist conversation to a place we all should follow.
3. Ragen Chastain (@danceswithfat)
I met Ragen Chastain two years ago when she visited Dartmouth College as the headlining speaker for Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Chastain is a self-proclaimed Fat Activist and advocates for the rights and voices of people of size. I’d never heard anyone discuss body image and sizeism in such a brutally honest way. Since that time I’ve followed her work closely.
In her book, Fat: The Owner’s Manual, Ragen Chastain discusses her experiences of discrimination as a woman of size and the harmful effects of fat shaming. When it comes to social justice issues, sizeism often gets left out of the conversation. The culture of fear and shame around weight in America, however, is pervasive and affects countless people. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders estimates up to 24 million people of all genders suffer from some type of eating disorder in the United States. Earlier this year, Market Research reported that the weight loss industry totaled approximately $60.5 Billion.
Chastain’s work sheds light on the ways our culture mistreats and marginalizes people who don’t fit traditional standards of beauty. In 2012, she launched a campaign to counter a series of billboard advertisements in Georgia that focused on shaming obese children. She tours the country visiting conferences and campuses spreading her message of size acceptance and health at every size. You can find her on Twitter or visit her website, www.danceswithfat.org.
4. Aura Bogado (@aurabogado)
I’m still learning about Aura Bogado’s work, but from what I can tell she’s a powerhouse. As a news editor and reporter for Colorlines magazine, Bogado writes on issues related to the Native American community, feminism, immigration, and voting rights. Her views are honest and insightful, giving voice to those who have been historically silenced.
Recently Bogado recently commented on some of the challenges she sees with male activism on social media and her critique is an important reminder that in order to be good men, we need to be consistent with our values, both online and in person.
Follow her on Twitter or find more of her writing on www.colorlines.com.
5. Janet Mock (@janetmock)
You may have heard of Lavern Cox or Carmen Carrera, but there’s another incredible trans* woman creating change that you may not know of yet. Her name is Janet Mock and she is a fearless writer and activist for the transgender community. In her bestselling book, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, and So Much More, she tells her story of growing up as a trans* woman in America.
In 2012 Mock started the #GirlsLikeUs campaign, inspiring trans* women around the world to come out and live openly about their identities. The movement gained international attention and contributed to building a community of trans* women who shared similar experiences.
Too often conversations around gender in our society focus exclusively on the binary of cisgender men and women – those who have the privilege of their gender aligning with their biological sex. In reality, gender is a complex mosaic that everyone experiences differently. Janet Mock’s story is powerful because it illuminates the diversity of gender that exists in our world.
Follow Janet Mock on Twitter, visit her website at www.janetmock.com.
6. Lauren Chief Elk (@ChiefElk)
Many are familiar with the atrocious percentage – one out of every four college aged women – who will experience sexual assault in our country. The discussion around this issue is crucial, but very seldom do we dig deeper to see how sexual violence affects specific communities. Lauren Chief Elk, organizer, activist and founder of the Save Wiyabi Project, works to address violence against Native American women.
If you think that the general sexual assault statistics in America are horrifying, you will understand why Lauren Chief Elk makes it her life’s work to advocate specifically for Native American women. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than any other racial community, and that one out of every three Native American women reports having been raped in her lifetime.
Lauren Chief Elk’s work boldly complicates the conversation about sexual violence in our country. Men play a huge role in working to end sexual assault and knowing how the issue affects different communities is necessary in making progress.
Like the Save Wiyabi Project on Facebook or follow Lauren Chief Elk on Twitter.
7. Maria Shriver (@mariashriver)
Photo: AP
You may know her as the wife of former California governor and actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Maria Shriver’s career as an award-winning journalist, author, and feminist has had little to do with her husband. She is a champion for women’s rights and her work aims to illustrate many significant issues affecting women today, including poverty and alzheimer’s disease.
Most importantly for this conversation, Maria Shriver believes that men have an absolutely necessary role to play in creating gender equality. Her website features a regular series titled “Men We Love” highlighting noteworthy men across the country doing positive work in their communities. She consistently features articles from the Good Men Project on her site and sees men as allies in a more equitable future for women.
If you haven’t yet explored her monumental career of activism and social change, start by following her on Twitter or going to the ShriverReport.org.
Note: While you may not completely agree with everything these women have to say, I believe their work is extremely important for all good men to understand. They discuss topics that complicate our understandings of race, gender, and society. They challenge us to do more and be better. These fierce women, along with so many others, devote their lives to providing perspective and voice for communities that are often marginalized. I will continue to follow them and their important work for positive change and social justice. I hope you will too.
And Also Follow @GoodMenProject on Twitter!
–Photo: paulsnelling/Flickr
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