So in the wake of the Women's March on Washington that became a global phenomenon, I feel that now is a time for me to really think about feminism.

Feminism. (n.) 1. the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, 2. organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.

I've read articles from people on both sides of the binary, those who are tired of feminism, and then even those who understand that feminism has its pitfalls, but still think it's a good movement. I want to propose that while both have their valid points, that they both are only grazing over one key element of the equation here: men. What I mean by this is, both of the articles referenced above are focusing on how women want to become these independent people who can handle whatever situation is thrown at them, even if it is changing a tire. I believe the male is just as important to the feminist movement as the female since it is meant to be a movement based out of equality.

Both articles talk about how women want to become the bread-winners and become these "Super-women" who work for a living, don't have the man pay the bill, and also want to be able to do everything a man can do (queue "Annie, Get Your Gun"). Now, the best way to examine feminism through males I feel is through gay males. We are in a feminist limbo because we have the physicality of men, we are genetically designed to be stronger and better at physical labor than women, but a cultural expectation of us is also to be "delicate" and "effeminate".

Now, I'll be frank- I'm definitely more feminine than I am masculine, but that is just part of my point for feminism. No one should be prescribed to a certain job, role, or anything simply because of our sex. As a gay man, I've gone through this on a personal level when coming to terms with my own sexuality because I was never really what many would consider "masculine". I also am not feminine, either, but the ideals that feminism promotes also promotes an ambiguity of that binary.

A staple of the gay culture is the "masc" and "fem" guys. As you can infer, "masc" = masculine (aka, into sports, wants to drink a beer with you, and is all in all a bro). "fem" = feminine (much broader of a spectrum. Can refer to a guy who likes women's clothes, makeup, etc, or even can just simply be the "everyone else" category). Many times, masculine is associated with positive qualities a gay man is looking for (The number of times I've seen this in Grindr profiles is astounding), and on the flipside, feminine is associated with negative qualities that a gay man is not looking for. The way gays handle femininity plays directly into the way society looks at it too. Within the gay culture, we look at the masculine man and determine that he is the most desirable way a gay man should be, while the feminine is not as desirable.

The gay community is a true example that while feminism may seem unnecessary for some, it still is necessary for more than just women. Men are just as much victims of this inequality than women are.