Feminism in Becoming: Considerations on the Man Question and the Future of 'Feministing'

Within contemporary feminism, perspectives on men being feminist range from those who are, “viscerally opposed" to those who argue that engaging with men more systematically is, “the most consequential move feminists can make”. While some feminist political scholars have called to expand feminist approaches to include analyses of men as gendered, resistance to this expansion is significantly entrenched and men who identify as feminist are frequently regarded with distrust. Yet, if feminist efforts are to transform deeply entrenched gendered power structures, there is good reason to engage fully with the many ways all conceptions and practices of gender work to maintain and/or challenge current power structures. This article offers a relational approach to 'feministing'—that is, an approach grounded in becoming feminist through praxes centred on uncovering points of solidarity across and within gender identity categories, the pursuit of coalition-oriented politics, and the prioritization of accountability through action not identity.