For years, women have been told that men who loudly identify as feminists are enlightened, safe, and ideal partners. But too often, their behavior contradicts the values they claim to support. The men who shout the loudest about feminism, whether in classrooms, media, or activist spaces, frequently turn out to be the least trustworthy. And I’m not just talking about celebrities or politicians; this is a dynamic I saw unfold in high school.
These were the dudes who only preached feminism when there was an audience of women to impress. No real fixes, just echoing trendy feminist catchphrases to score points. Like that one guy who’d passionately declare “tampons should be free!” as if he’d cracked the code to women’s hearts.
Others loudly supported pro-choice policies, not out of principle, but to gain female affection.
Their support for women’s rights wasn’t genuine; it was performative. But this behavior only got worse as I entered college—it plays out on a much larger scale in politics, Hollywood, and academia.
Take Eric Schneiderman, New York’s former attorney general, who branded himself a champion for women until four women accused him of physical abuse. Or James Franco, praised for supporting “Time’s Up,” was later accused of sexual misconduct. Michael Kimmel, an academic known for critiquing toxic masculinity, was accused of sexual harassment. And Russell Brand, long seen as a progressive voice for women’s rights, now faces sexual assault lawsuits.
These aren’t one-off oopsies. They expose a trend: guys cloaking predatory vibes in feminist rhetoric to polish their image. The “feminist badge” doubles as a shield from suspicion and a slick tool for manipulation.
[RELATED: Why Are So Many Campus Feminists Anti-Male?]
Why Do These Men Do It?
While some men sincerely support women, they often don’t align with far-left causes and are unlikely to join rallies on college campuses. In contrast, those who do participate in such protests frequently leverage feminism strategically, driven by three main motives:
- Virtue Signaling: Modern progressivism rewards men who loudly support feminist causes, even if they never follow through.
- Trust-Building for Manipulation: By branding themselves as “pro-woman,” these men lower defenses and gain access to women’s spaces.
- Deflection from Scrutiny: When accused of wrongdoing, they hide behind their feminist label: “I couldn’t do that—I support women!”
This is why identity politics can be dangerous—it rewards the performance, not the person’s actual character. And it creates blind spots for real abuse.
The Stats Don’t Lie
While many men who sincerely identify as feminists behave respectfully toward women, research shows that when feminist rhetoric is used as a facade, it can become a tool for manipulation.
- Self-proclaimed male feminists sometimes use their identity to gain trust and lower defenses.
- People who loudly proclaim anti-racist and other leftist views are, in practice, more likely to act prejudicially, a phenomenon known as moral licensing. A Stanford study cited in UnHerd found that those who present themselves as virtuous on social issues often justify bad behavior afterward.
- Performative allyship does exist: Woke men may believe their political identity shields them from suspicion. “Feminist men commit sexual assault,” notes the American Prospect, not in spite of their beliefs, but sometimes because they believe they’re above reproach.
- 80 percent of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, according to RAINN. When men gain trust through feminist signaling, it increases the danger of hidden abuse.
If most sexual violence comes from someone known and trusted, pinning a “safe” label on a guy just because he calls himself a feminist deserves a hard side-eye. Yet, there’s barely any research digging into whether self-proclaimed male feminists are more or less likely to be abusers. For now, we’re just expected to take their word for it.
[RELATED: Why Men Are Falling Behind in Schools]
How This Hurts Women—and Feminism
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Undermines feminism’s credibility: When the loudest allies are exposed as frauds, the movement can appear farcical and insincere.
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Women become wary of men altogether: Trust is eroded, especially when these men face few consequences for their actions.
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Fuels anti-feminist backlash: Critics use these scandals as evidence to argue that feminism is merely performative.
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Creates a false sense of security: Women are encouraged to lower their guard around men who use the correct language, making them more vulnerable to manipulation.
Performative allies have exploited the gaps in trust, so women should place their faith in men who have genuinely earned it—not those who loudly proclaim their feminism. A man who truly respects women doesn’t need to broadcast it; he demonstrates it through his actions—how he speaks, how he behaves when no one’s watching, and how he honors boundaries.
So, when a man boldly labels himself a feminist, don’t take his declaration at face value. Look at his behavior: Does he act with integrity, or is he just chasing clout? Does he show genuine respect for women, or is it all a carefully staged performance?
Image by Teo Zac on Unsplash
“Their support for women’s rights wasn’t genuine; it was performative. But this behavior only got worse as I entered college…”
This convinces me that I really need to write about the UMass Rape Hoax Hystera of 25 years ago as this played into that.
It was quite obvious that there was no rapist — not only were an exponentially increasing number of cops neither seeing nor hearing anything, but there was clear evidence that the women were lying. In the most egregious example, not only was the knife wound (to the woman’s forehead) clearly self-inflicted by the angle of the wound, but she had twice before attempted suicide with a knife on campus in the prior 18 months or so (that I knew about).
As I increasingly became aware that all of this was being fabricated, I was increasingly accused of being pro rape. My response was simple — it is a large campus with lots of dark places, how does pulling all the cops from those places and putting them by the pond make women safer? But no, I was supposed to affirm the rape hysteria.
Of course, I also call male feminists “kapos.”
Do it!