The Republican convention’s theme song, “It’s a Man’s World,” made clear what Donald Trump’s scheme was: Promote 1950s manhood to attract white male voters. But other men may upend this strategy, recognizing the threats women are facing. These other men include pro-reproductive rights men and white dudes.
When more men feel in their hearts the emergency women feel in their whole bodies, our consciousness will expand, too, and more men will join women on the front lines of the fight. More younger men are acutely aware of the issues surrounding abortion rights and identify significantly more as pro-choice than many may think. It’s a trend that’s been accelerating since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, as pollster and abortion strategist Tresa Undem has noted.
Although Trump-Vance allies recently debuted a $20 million campaign to register and motivate young voters in battleground states, a Young Men Research Initiative poll this summer found that while Vice President Kamala Harris is trailing Trump with young men who had not registered to vote, this figure was up 17 points among those who had. A recent Pew poll found that young male voters aged 18-29 supported Harris over Trump, 55 to 31%. Yes, it’s an encouraging snapshot, but not a time to be complacent.
Men of all ages must understand what women are up against. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 21 states have either enacted outright abortion bans or severely restricted the procedure earlier in a pregnancy than the benchmark set by Roe.
Abolishing Roe was just the extreme right’s opening volley in its plan to ban and criminalize abortion nationwide. Not convinced? Just read the chilling Handmaid’s Tale-like restrictions outlined in Project 2025.
“Do something!” Michelle Obama urged us. Talk to the men and young men in your life. Encourage them to speak out—and to vote. Their daughters, partners, wives, aunts and sisters depend on it.
Rob Okun is the editor of the anthology ‘Voice Male: The Untold Story of the Profeminist Men’s Movement.’
