InterSEXional: A Feminist Essay

Feminism — even into the present day — is a vastly misunderstood movement plagued by false stereotypes and demonizing definitions. Persisting into the modern era are the false understandings that feminism is a social issue that benefits women only, that the patriarchy is maintained only by men and that men would be negatively affected by its demolition. Due to these misconceptions, men have often distanced themselves from a movement that could aid them to actualize their individuality outside of the confines of masculinity. Feminist scholars as early as its first wave have been working to spread the notion that feminism is not to the detriment of men, but a movement that could emancipate both sexes from a lifetime of damaging gender oppression and conformity. This book examines feminism’s evolution through its three most prominent waves; its beginnings as a movement for women’s suffrage to its modern-day focus on the gender roles of both sexes and the negative implications of gender conformity, most notably as a driving factor for male violence and aggression. A full understanding that gender constructs place limitations on human individuality could inspire a new generation of male feminists and in turn reduce societal violence.