One of the FAQs for Women’s Studies majors is, “Are there guys in your class?” Or some people don’t bother asking, and just assume that Women’s Studies is for women only. When I tell people, “Yeah, there are a good few men taking Women’s Studies classes—more in the entry levels, fewer in the upper levels.”, they often either don’t believe me or are baffled. One of the more memorable responses I have gotten was from a friend of mine who said, “Yeah, my roommate took a Women’s Studies class. He actually enjoyed it. He’s—you know—a pretty macho kind of guy. But after taking the class, he got more emotional and sentimental.” The remarks my friend made were not meant to be snide; they were sincere, and were made in attempt to be supportive of my interest in Women’s Studies. But his remarks reveal that he is ill informed about Women’s Studies, and he’s not the only one.

Women’s Studies carries a number of negative associations and stereotypes—it’s impractical, it’s a bitch fest, it’s not really academic, it’s a breeding ground for angry feminists, etc. It’s not that I take issue with criticisms of Women’s Studies; but rather with the fact that those who make these charges have never been to a single women’s studies class, glanced at a syllabus, or talked to someone who has taken women’s studies courses. Often times, the only basis for their critiques are their own biases; and when it comes to gender and sexuality, we have a lot of biases. Our strict adherence to an artificial gender binary has made us so unimaginative and dull that when a man takes a Women’s Studies course, our minds are baffled.

But there are many men who house some skepticism toward the common criticisms made against women’s and gender studies; and instead of dismissing that skepticism in exchange for a more absolute and perhaps more comfortable view, they decide to enroll in a Women’s Studies class. Indeed there has been a growing interest in Women’s Studies among men. An article in LSA magazine discusses this trend.

• Since 2002, of the 8,724 students taking Women’s Studies courses at UM, 1,124 were male.
• In the last 10 years, 10 out of 514 students earning undergraduae degress in Women’s Studies were male.
• In the last 10 years, 7 out of 111 UM students, earning Women’s Studies minors were male.

Feminist Men: No, its not an oxymoron. Men can be feminists too, and in fact many men do identify as feminists. Just take a peek at the facebook group “Feminist Men“.

The F-word, a feminist group at the University, launched the “I am a feminist” campaign last winter in an effort to show the different faces of feminism around campus. The group printed and distributed flyers that featured professors and students who identify with the feminist movement for varying and interrelated reasons. Many men were among those who were featured. See for yourself:
(Click for enlarged view)