Not Just a Joke: Understanding & Preventing Gender- & Sexuality-Based Bigotry in Young People

Many sources draw boys and young men into male supremacy. This article provides a clear, useful overview of male supremacy and the manosphere, warning signs to look out for in young people, and strategies to build resilience. The resource is geared toward parents and guardians, educators, counselors, coaches, and others who support young people.

Male supremacy supports patriarchal beliefs that there are genetic differences between men and women that make men more superior. These beliefs are often spread through the manosphere which consists of online spaces such as blogs and websites where people share content that is misogynistic in nature and reflects toxic masculinity. These spaces harm how boys and young men perceive themselves, and how they perceive women and gender-expansive people. They may feel entitled to women’s bodies, women’s work and labor, and women's time and attention. When they don’t receive what they mistakenly feel they deserve, they may blame or even harm women.

These messages are not preached only by men but by women as well. Trad wives, or traditional wives, tell women that their purpose is to support patriarchal gender norms such as homemaking and child-rearing. They also intersect with other identities. Male supremacists also often push anti-LGBTQ and racist rhetoric.

Young people find these messages in gaming chats, on social media, and in other spaces. If they begin to espouse hateful ideas, share words that mimic a script, talk about violence, or self-isolate, there is cause for concern. However, parents and other caregivers can intervene. We can address internet safety, provide comprehensive sex education, and cultivate communities of safety and support. Through the help of a community, we can protect our young people.

Beyond internalized sexism, the widely held tenets of male supremacy have significant impacts on girls’ and women’s daily lives. Students, particularly young men, are parroting talking points from influencers like Andrew Tate and creating AI-generated images of their female classmates undressed or engaged in sexual acts. Research has also consistently demonstrated a strong link between misogyny and violence, including both domestic and intimate partner violence and mass violence. This is especially true among white men who believe their race, gender or religion is under attack. Men who hold hostile misogynistic views are more likely to both support and engage in targeted violence against women, a trend we’ve seen evidenced in deadly attacks from Tallahassee to Uvalde to Isla Vista.

Note: Concepts of "extremism" and "radicalization" have been used to target, surveil, and harm Black and Brown communities in particular. This article employs those terms but Our Bodies Ourselves prefers to avoid them, in keeping with our intersectional feminist lens.

SOURCE: Southern Poverty Law Center • AUTHOR: Lydia Bates, et. al. • LAST UPDATED: December 10, 2024