The Presidential Election, Reproductive Rights, and a 'New Masculinity' in the US? - Rob Okun

With the US presidential election fast approaching, and the unexpected entry of Kamala Harris into the race, gender issues are central to the debate. Polls suggest women are more likely to vote Democrat, and men – including young men – more likely to vote Republican. A particular focus of both campaigns is on seeking to win men over, drawing upon different cultural narratives of masculinity. How is the Trump/Vance campaign drawing on masculinist and misogynistic discourses to appeal to those men who feel marginalised and resentful of women’s gains? How are the Harris/Walz campaign seeking to promote a ‘new masculinity’, where men can be both steady and strong, tender and vulnerable? 

In this episode, we explore with Rob Okun how this contemporary contest reflects shifting notions of masculinity over the past 50 years in the US. In particular, we discuss reproductive rights after the Roe vs Wade protection of the right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, and the ways in which increasing numbers of men are acting in support of women’s right to choose. 

We also talk with Rob about his longstanding involvement in the US profeminist men’s movement, and how becoming a father was a key factor in his own journey to activism and engagement. Rob is perhaps best known for being the editor and publisher from 1996 to 2023 of Voice Male magazine, covering topics including men’s violence, fatherhood, men’s health, and LGBTQIA+ issues, both in the US and internationally. He is also the editor of an excellent book, ‘Voice Male: The Untold Story of the Profeminist Men’s Movement’. He is a former executive director of the Men’s Resource Center for Change, which was one of the earliest men’s centers in North America. He continues to speak at colleges and universities around the US, and writes for newspapers and websites such as Ms. Magazine.

• Rob’s personal website: https://robokun.net
• Voice Male magazine: https://voicemalemagazine.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voicemalemagazine
• Rob’s writing for Ms. Magazine: https://msmagazine.com/author/robokun/
• The 'Voice Male' book: https://shop.nextgenmen.ca/products/voice-male-the-untold-story-of-the-pro-feminist-mens-movement-by-rob-a-okun

Episode timeline

• Intro
• The impact of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina (02:22-07:11)
• The potential significance of having a woman of colour as president (07:11-13:08)
• The ‘gender split’ in voting patterns (13:08-17:11)
• How Trump and Vance have been exploiting some men’s grievances (17:11-24:44)
• A ‘new masculinity’ among the Democrats? (24:44-29:58)
• Break
• Rob’s journey In the US profeminist men’s movement (30:05-40:29)
• How Voice Male developed over time (40:29-45:38)
• How Rob sees his role in the movement now (45:38-51:18)
• What he thinks Americans should do ahead of the election (51:18-54:17)
• Conclusion [Comparing with Jackson Katz interview; The Man Card film; ‘Tampon Tim’; Democrat leaders still needing to emphasise their toughness; Trump targeting young men; the US being a centre-left country; The impact of fatherhood; Overlaps in activism] (54:22-01:00:37)

Explainers

• Patti Smith - ‘People have the power’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Wz3i_BYUc
• Men4Choice https://www.men4choice.org
• White Dudes for Harris https://whitedudesforharris.com
• Andrew Yarrow, ‘Man Out’ https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780815732754/Man-Out-Men-on-the-Sidelines-of-American-Life
• Peter Thiel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel
• The Electoral College https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College
• MenEngage Alliance https://menengage.org
• Steven Botkin https://www.mergeforequality.org/trainers/
• Next Gen Men https://www.nextgenmen.ca
• Gloria Steinem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem
• Kamala Harris v Brett Cavanagh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6g-zycRv8Q
• The Man Card documentary https://www.themancardmovie.com
• ‘Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women’ https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women