High School Boys Explain Feminism In A Video From A Male Perspective

Attention all high schools around the WORLD: there is a class that you must implement into your curriculum. It is a feminism or women’s studies class. Why? Because as evidenced by the video below, a class like this can educate a man beyond the pages of a textbook, and teach them how to respect and value women (and our struggles) that will give them greater perspective into adulthood. Sounds like a win win to us!

A high school in New York City, LREI, whose focus is on “progressive education”, filmed a group of male seniors who took the feminist class that was offered, and asked for their opinions and view on the movement after being educated about it.

It was created by teacher Lleana Jiminez who has single-handedly given all of us an insight into the way men think about women in their teenage years. It is a video that can be used in so many ways. It shows that if there are more classes like this, perhaps young men will truly understand the value of women and the concept that we are all equal.

And it could potentially go a lot further, to preventing gender violence, preventing shooting incidents like the Santa Barbara Elliot Rodger shooting, where a young guy somehow slipped through the cracks of society and grew up thinking that women were less than equals and deserved to be treated with violence if they didn’t comply with him.

Perhaps even many rape cases would be prevented! Sure, it’s a big statement to make, but let’s examine why a class like this is so beneficial to young men and as a result society in general.

“My reason for taking the feminism course is that especially in high school, there are not a lot of opportunities like this that come around,” says one male student in the video (below).

“My sister is taking a feminism and women’s studies course in college, and I had never heard of that, prior to LREI,” says another. That right there shows how valuable feminism can be. The fact that not many men are taught about this highly important movement throughout history.

“I didn’t have a concrete definition of feminism before the class. I knew it wasn’t the perceived idea that feminism is [only] and a hatred toward men,” says another student.

The boys were taught about intersectionality, meaning how equality isn’t just something that feminists or women want, it is a concept that affects different races, classes, socio-economic background and LGBT community. Again, doesn’t a class like this seem like a no-brainer?!?

One young man even said that identity plays a huge part. From the class he now understands that we as people don’t have to be categorized by the “master narrative set by America”, instead we can all be many things, not just a feminist, or gay, or disabled, and so forth.

The class also discussed issues of sex trafficking, acid attacks and other horrific gender violence issues that happen elsewhere in the world.

“Every time you read a magazine and listen to the lyrics of a song, you can clearly hear the misogynistic undertones,” says another male student about what he learned from the class.

According to a recent survey by YouGov and Huffington Post, only 20 percent of Americans identify as feminists. When they delved a little deeper and even questioned the people surveyed who defined themselves as “anti-feminist” they found once they were told that feminism simple means “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary) nearly everyone said they believe in equality.

So where are we going wrong? Is it the media’s fault for portraying and perpetuating wrong definitions? Is this why young women like Shailene Woodley doesn’t want to be called a feminist? We hope this video is inspiration and a stark reminder of why feminism is a vital part of progression, and prevention for some major gender-based crimes.

Three cheers for LREI High School and all the men/feminists who choose to take this class! We salute you!