Must My Son Be a Feminist?

Article here. Excerpt:

'I do not worry so much for my own sons, who range in age from 36 to 52, or even for my grandsons, who are being raised beautifully, and are doing just fine. But I worry for my gender. Everywhere I look, there are examples of how boys are seen as in need of re-shaping, and these inevitably upset me. Here’s an example of what can (and did) set me off: It’s a recent article by New York Times writer Clair Cain Miller, titled How to Raise a Feminist Son. I have to admit that the title itself angered me. I have seen the word “feminist” become the new world order. To not be a feminist seems often to be equated with not being a decent human being. But suppose I have noticed, as I have, that while in so many ways girls and young women are doing better than boys and young men, men who fight for what they see as right for themselves and their sons are often labeled—by feminists—as misogynist. Then what do I do?

I did agree with some of what Miller had to say. For example, she writes, “Boys are particularly responsive to spending time with role models, even more than girls, research shows. There is growing evidence that boys raised in households without a father figure fare worse in behavior, academics, and earnings.” The evidence on this is substantial. But yet it has been an uphill battle to fight for laws mandating shared parenting in case of divorce, even when the father is quite eager for that. I know people who have devoted their lives to this struggle, but I don’t think many feminists tend to be among them. You can’t take the “fem” out of feminism, and fem means female. To advocate for men and boys is something few feminists will go out of their way to do.'