Standing Against Men’s Oppressor Behavior
We men are systematically brutalized, including and especially by the suppression of the discharge process. We are offered a “way out” by oppressing others—younger or “weaker” males (internalized male oppression), females (sexism), and males who are perceived as not acting within the small confines of what is assumed to be male (Gay oppression).
Any male who stands against these behaviors is subject to more hurts—violence, threats of violence, humiliation, and so on. To stand against male patterns of domination, including but not limited to rape, we will need to challenge the heavy fears that were installed on us early in our lives. What are we scared will happen to us if we take a stand? We need to keep discharging on our early hurts connected to domination, homophobia, sexism, closeness, and sex.
We can also discharge about and try taking stands, and expecting and supporting other men to do the same. When did you take a stand against a man’s oppressor material* and move a situation forward? When did you try something and it didn’t work? What did you learn from that “failure,” and what distresses do you need to work on to be smarter next time?
Once I tried to take a stand against a man’s oppressor material, and instead of improving things I set up a situation in which he was likely to be attacked and not well thought about. I learned I have to be clear that I am for the man and not just against his oppressor material. For me that means discharging on any internalized oppression that would have me feeling different or separate from another man.
Chris Austill
Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
* "Material" means distress.