Truth and Reconciliation

Another #MeToo post. Everyday brings another tide of stories, some truly horrifying. It will take some time for us, men especially, to come to terms with the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in our societies. We will have to reflect on our behaviour and acknowledge our complicity in patriarchy and misogyny. Hopefully, after that, there will be a conversation about our vision for men. A truly radical and progressive feminism must liberate both men and women from constricting gender roles. Healthy attitudes towards relationships, both platonic and sexual, don't come automatically to most people. They didn't come to me even though my own family is extremely progressive. It is only in recent years that I can claim to have a truly healthy attitude towards relations with the opposite sex, and by that I don't just mean attitudes towards harassment and sexual assault. Its the ability to see women as people in your head, to not see every attractive woman as a potential sexual partner, even if you are not someone who acts on these impulses. This has to be taught, not just in school classrooms but through culture. I am not talking about a society-wide cultural shift here, just in my urban upper-middle-class bubble, where most of these stories are coming from. Both women and men have to play a part in this cultural shift, in healing our broken gender relations.
But there can be no reconciliation without truth, and right now it is the time for truth. Reconciliation will come later.