TwitterAfter the #YesAllWomen hashtag went viral following the tragic shootings in Santa Barbara, Calif. last month, men are now stepping forward to show their support for women's rights.
The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger, wrote a deeply disturbing 140-page manifesto targeting women and went on a lengthy anti-women rant on YouTube, and in response, the #YesAllWomen campaign became a safe space for females on Twitter to talk about their personal experiences with rape, harassment and the misogyny they battle in every aspect of their lives. And now men are joining the fight.
The #AllMenCan hashtag started after PolicyMic editor Elizabeth Plank asked men to show what it means to be both a male and a feminist.
"Women are not the only ones frustrated by our society's institutionalized misogyny," she writes. "So many men, too, reported feeling disgusted by the attitudes of the shooter and his alleged peers, the 'men's rights activists' that not only influenced Rodger, but publicly predicted more violence if men aren't given what they want. Men deserve their own space to talk back to these 'activists.'"
The hashtag took off, with Twitter users posting their own photos and messages about a man's role in the fight for women's rights:
#MCM round 2 ???? #AllMenCan pic.twitter.com/xkdaTB9bkO
? Megan Louise (@megylouisee) June 3, 2014As the father of two daughters, I want my girls to realize all of their dreams and be treated equally with dignity and respect. #AllMenCan
? Jack Conway (@ConwayforKY) June 9, 2014#AllMenCan be proud feminists. pic.twitter.com/kgV5xHMsay
? Nourishment Notes (@nourishnotes) June 9, 2014#AllMenCan know that this is something worth supporting. #YesAllWomen pic.twitter.com/B6FvZjREa4
? Adam Walker (@malestylist) June 9, 2014#AllMenCan be proud feminists. Feminism/equality in all forms is about how you behave, not just what you think. Be the example to others.
? Mike Crump (@Crumpatron) June 9, 2014#AllMenCan practice enthusiastic consent every time. "No" means no, and a lack of "yes" means no. #endrapeculture
? Mike (@salo35) June 9, 2014RT @feministabulous: I love #AllMenCan getting shout-outs everywhere. http://t.co/j6l4ESj3cy pic.twitter.com/CPCCNJBg2j
? Arezoo Najibzadeh (@ArezooNZ) June 9, 2014There's even a Tumblr page dedicated to the #AllMenCan movement where users can submit their own pics and messages. Or you can use the #AllMenCan hashtag feed on Twitter, which is infinitely more important than the folks talking about One Direction and clogging up the Trending box.
Check out the PolicyMic article to see more photos from the original #AllMenCan campaign.