I’m a first time poster having read (and despaired over) the pages, articles, subreddits and comments relating to gender issues and relations for a while. It is clearly an emotive, divisive and partisan area of discussion that more often than not descends into heated, intractable and combative bickering and mudslinging that benefits neither participant nor fosters understanding or consideration for the alternate perspective. I am not a mysoginist, toxic male or unaware and in denial of difficulties, inequalities and experiences that women have and do face. Neither am I feminist, brainwashed male or simp (or any other label that is thrown around to degrade males with an alternative view by mysoginists and misandrists).

I am however a human male, infinitely different but innately similar to roughly half of the human population. I identify as a man and am proud of it (not to be interpreted as any sort of negativity or sense of superiority towards females for those who are triggered by positive expressions of masculinity).

From my perspective I am deeply and increasingly concerned by the narrative that dominates popular culture and societal attitudes. Specifically it’s acceptance and encouragement of negative stereotypes and discriminatory discourse and depiction of men as a concept and unrealistically homogeneous group. I don’t want to see casual misogyny or degradation of women in the media I consume, I understand the offence and negative outcomes it leads to. But neither do I want to see that historical pendulum swing to the position it’s in now. Where men are depicted as either: actively misogynist, useless and moronic, purely sex obsessed ,“toxicly masculine”, irrelevant, purely a figure of ridicule, a sex toy or a flawed, evil or malevolent figure that is a legitimate and deserving target of comeuppance, revenge, punishment and death.

The outcomes of this misandrist trend in our media should be as obvious, predictable and acknowledged as the pervasive misogyny they’ve replaced and the “you did it first” argument is ridiculous, irrelevant and without practical benefit to anyone.

I could give numerous examples of the media I’m referring to and the experiences I’ve had that demonstrate the attitudes that some women hold and express oblivious to the hypocrisy and negativity and the attitudes and affects of those attitudes men and boys are accepting about themselves.

But my question for those who have stuck with me is this: What do we as none hysterical, none misogynist men do In a practical sense about these issues without coming across as woman hating psychos craving a return to the past because our egos are hurt?