Cis-het men have to acknowledge that they are the reason for a lot of the pain women and queer people have to endure. I am not only talking about actual hate-crimes or sexual violence, but also the part they play in making us feel unsafe walking home, making us feel uncomfortable expressing ourselves and making us feel unsure about our own value. To give our male readers the benefit of the doubt, I’ll assume that creating these sentiments is not something you do intentionally. Regardless, it is necessary that you recognize that you may still evoke these feelings within us. In all honesty, I hate all men, because it still surprises me when a straight man makes an effort to make me feel safe and comfortable.
If you are a straight, cisgender man, you have a choice: you either passively accept the system that privileges you, or you actively make an effort to create safe spaces for women and queer people. Within the words “I Hate All Men” lies so much power, anger, mistrust, fear and frustration. If you want us to stop chanting it, I am asking you to give us a good reason.