Since the whole #NotAllMen internet controversy and backlash died out, people have really forgotten the reason why it went viral. Since then I have heard from both men and women say something along the lines of: “Well, actually, not all men are... rapists, abusers, harassers, etc.”

While, sure, not all men are bad human beings, a lot of people just missed the point. Well, I am here to remind everyone that the “not all men” argument is inherently sexist and hypocritical.

“Not all men” is a sexist tactic to invalidate and silence women or a female-identifying person's experiences. Men have a tendency to use this phrase when women talk about gender inequality or situations that have left them feeling less than human. Generalizations are never accurate and the same goes for men; yes, not all men are the same and not every man or male-identifying person is the same.

However, when women become outspoken about their experiences with assault, harassment, or abuse, the phrase “not all men” is used as a silencer and comfort mechanism so men don’t have to address the real issues of gender inequality.

Experiences of women that happen to include a certain group (men), isn’t meant to be “sexist” towards men, it is meant to delve deeper into a greater problem. The men that actually are problematic are not held accountable for what they do, so they continue to assault, harass, or abuse.

For instance, college rape is fairly common on campuses across the country, statistics say that 1-5 women will experience rape in their college years. However, that does not mean 1-5 men are rapists.

Rape, especially on college campuses, tends to go unreported or investigations are thrown out, this means the assailant(s) run free and continue to commit the crime.

The reasoning for talking about gender inequality and problematic men is so that we can hold men accountable for their actions. Even if you are a male identifying person and you have not contributed to sexist behavior, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the issue and silence a woman and her experiences by retaliating with a “not all men” argument.

Take her experiences as a lesson and make sure you hold yourself and others accountable.

Another issue I would like to address that is often used as a tactic to silence women is saying “she is/they are being sexist towards men.” Let me break this down in the clearest way possible. If you are held in a position of power or privilege regarding your gender identity, you cannot be discriminated against based on your gender identity, therefore, they cannot be sexist towards you.

Men, especially white men, hold social, economic, and political power that provides them with safety and control over any situation. Women, however, can never feel this way. Hatred or sexism from a man can make women feel unsafe in a situation, and often times speaking out about sexism is an unsafe thing to do for women.

Meninist groups have been known to show aggression and harassment towards women and even send online death or rape threats that keep women in a vulnerable position and use fear to stop them from speaking out. That is sexism at work.