November 19 is International Men’s Day.
As it’s already November 19 in some parts of the world, Twitter and other social media are filling up with the predictable attempts to mock, hijack, co-opt, pollute, and otherwise diminish even any potential celebration of masculinity or the positive contributions that men make to the world. Their arguments range from specious (the verifiably false notion of the wage gap) to disgusting smears holding all men responsible for the actions of a few criminals.
In my opinion, there is nothing our country needs more than men taking responsibility for themselves, their families, and their communities. This is most obviously a need when one considers the statistics about fatherhood in our country, but the need is greater. Men stepping up to boldly tell the truth and fight the destructive forces aligning against Western values is one of our most important assets as nation, and we should be doing all we can to encourage them.
In the spirit of “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” rather than rant about the stupidity and destructiveness of these tactics, I’m going high. So here is a list of five men who are doing good work and making positive contributions in the world (in varied and diverse ways), with links to learn more about them and what they do. (This list could be much longer, and as soon as I hit publish I will surely think of at least ten more men who should’ve been on it. I promise to plan ahead and make next year’s post on this topic significantly more extensive.)
Dr. Bret Weinstein
“I keep being invited to talk about free speech on college campuses, and everytime I’m invited I make the same point. This isn’t about free speech, and this is only tangentially about college campuses. This is about a breakdown in the basic logic of civilization. And it’s spreading. College campuses may be the first dramatic battle, but of course this is going to find its way into the courts. It’s already found its way into the tech sector. It’s going to find its way into the highest level of governance if we’re not careful. And it actually does jeopardize the ability of civilization to function.” —Dr. Bret Weinstein, in 2018 (!!!)
Bret Weinstein first came to public attention as a biology professor at the Evergreen State College when a Woke cult took over the campus. It was a precursor to the Woke cult presently doing its damnedest to take over the world. Since being forced out of higher education, Bret has been making the DarkHorse Podcast, having important conversations with influential and interesting people, on topics that matter. He and his wife, Heather Heying, wrote A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century, a fantastic book about using an evolutionary lens to see the world and begin to correct for the hyper-novelty that’s affecting us all in modernity. A series of circumstances that may represent the best luck of my life led to my becoming friends with his wife and then with him, a relationship that my life has been immeasurably enriched by and for which I will always be grateful.
Joseph Massey
“Refuse to live in fear. We weren't given the gift of life to just hand it over to a bunch of demonic puppeteers hellbent on reshaping reality for their own gain.” —Joseph Massey
Joseph Massey is my favorite living poet. He came to my attention through an essay about surviving a cancellation attempt. I have since read all his books and gotten to know him a bit, making him one of those “internet friends” we all have that we know online and hope to one day meet in person. His work is beautiful, powerful, moving, and above all surprising. I regularly pull his poetry books off the shelves for a bit of inspiration or a topic of meditation, and he is also a talented photographer. His twitter contains his commentary on the world and is a fantastic follow.
James Lindsay
“Everything prestigious is corrupt. Accept it and start thinking of where to go from here.” —James Lindsay
James Lindsay is the author of several books, including my favorite among his oeuvre, Everybody Is Wrong About God. He earned a PhD in mathematics before leaving academia. He has since become a cultural commentator and analyst, presently working under the auspices of New Discourses, the business he started to teach people how to understand and fight the creeping authoritarianism of the Woke Left. He has been my friend since the day when I, a struggling, confused mathematics major, sent an email like a prayer, expecting no answer. He answered, gave me the best advice of my life, and thus started a friendship that has gone beyond the pivotal role he played in helping me understand the scary, confusing world of university life, not give up, and eventually become a happily employed, successful woman in STEM. The work Jim does in explaining and fighting the machinations of the Woke is priceless. If Western civilization survives, his name will never be forgotten.
Joshua Slocum
“I have found the goldilocks position of bitch faggotry.” —Josh Slocum
Joshua Slocum is the host of the Disaffected podcast, which examines and calls out the insanity of the Woke Left through the psychological lens that perfectly fits it—that of the cluster B personality disorders it mimics, foments, and whose characteristics it is imposing on the Western World. Many of these societal trends relate to what could be fairly called a type of toxic femininity. A gay man, Joshua is able to freely call out these dynamics for what they are with the clarity that only a man who is never trying to figure out his own sexual position with regard to women can achieve. His show, which I am proud to support, is intense, deeply thought provoking, funny, and enjoyable.
(Josh has many more profound insights than the one quoted, but this one gave me the best laugh I’d had in weeks and it’s the one I’ll always remember best.)
Jack Murphy
“Masculine men act with strength, honor, courage, and loyalty. How have you exhibited those traits recently?” —Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy is an author, podcaster, and the founder of the Liminal Order, a men’s group that focuses on teaching men to harness their masculinity in positive ways to facilitate personal and cultural change. I reviewed his book, Democrat to Deplorable, at great length and in depth here. (Note: I no longer write on Medium; I will edit that review and migrate it to Substack eventually.) I love reading his twitter, listening to his podcast, and following his work. Teaching men to overcome the cultural bullshit that tries to make them doubt and even hate themselves, and instead to harness their strength to take care of their families and communities—this is the kind of work our country desperately needs done.