Article here. Excerpt:
'The hyperbole “Kill All Men” is a verbal manifestation of deep-rooted distrust in the power structure that puts rapists in our courts and gender roles in our homes. Although the mainstream media often misinterprets the slogan, it’s not actually about women wanting any individual or group to die. It’s about women vocalizing their anger as a way to trivialize traumatic experiences, typically with cisgender men. “Kill All Men” should be seen as a cry for the death of the patriarchy, not as a cry for blood.
Part of processing these traumatic experiences is allowing oneself to feel intensely, and while it’s not good to spread hate, releasing tension by joking with friends does help victims. Coping with trauma through dark humor — or ironic misandry in this case — isn’t a bad thing, but emotional suppression can be. Suppressed emotions always find ways to manifest themselves, and can end up perpetuating cycles of violence.
Instead of attacking women for “polarizing political discourse,” let’s ask them why they’re motivated to use such radical rhetoric. Let’s stop victim shaming and simply listen. Why do women say “Kill All Men,” and how can we change the systems that motivate them to do so?
It’s a structural attack, not a personal one. Feminists don’t want men to die, they want the death of conventional masculinity. And it’s not just feminists who should want this. Men, women, and non-binary people should support the end of masculine stereotypes as well. We need to challenge the ideas that say men can’t have positive familial roles, that men can’t be reliant on others, and that men must be tough. These stereotypes aren’t just hurting women, they’re hurting men too. Messages of conventional masculinity, like these stereotypes, lead men to face higher rates of suicide and violence.'
