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I understand that empowerment of non-male identified people does not threaten my strength as a man.
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I am willing and able to call other men out on their actions, words, and issues.
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I model positive behavior for my friends and other men by setting an example.
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I practice listening to women and non-male identified people and their realities without trying to fix the problem myself.
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I work on coming to a place where I am not struggling with my manhood, and do not need to prove my masculinity to others.
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I am present at meetings to make sure male privilege and gender oppression are part of the discussion.
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I demonstrate knowledge and awareness of the issues of gender oppression.
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I use the language and political worldview of gender equality.
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I continually educate myself and others about gender oppression.
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I recognize my own limitations as a male identified person doing anti-sexist work.
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I raise issues about gender oppression over and over, both in public and in private.
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I can identify sexism and gender oppression as it is happening.
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I can strategize and work in coalition with others to advance anti-sexist work.
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I attend to group dynamics to ensure the inclusion of people of color.
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I support and validate the comments and actions of non-male identified people and other allies. (But not in a paternalistic manner!)
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I strive to share power with women and other non-male identified people.
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I take a personal interest in the lives and welfare of individual non-male identified people.
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I listen carefully so that I am more likely to understand the needs of non-male identified people.
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I can adopt and articulate the point of view of non-male identified people when it may be helpful.
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I can accept and encourage leadership from non-male identified people.
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I understand that non-male identified people often have valid experiences that cause them to feel distrustful, wary, or angry at men. I do not take it as a personal attack. Nor do I try to make them feel guilty for feeling these things about men. I remember that “it’s not all about me.”
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I recognize that patriarchy has created a lot of internalized oppression in non-male identified people. Even if non-male identified people express sexist views about other non-male identified people, I realize it does not make it alright for me to act in a sexist way.
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I recognize that patriarchy and male privilege also involve domination and oppression of children. I know that being a male ally applies to children as well, because young children often suffer their first experiences of oppression due to patriarchal domination in households.
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I realize that men also experience patriarchal violence, including sexual assault. I know that being a male ally means recognizing the oppression that men perpetrate on others, including other men.
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