Gender Participation Policy

Guidelines for cis men participation in RAGE events

We encourage cis-men participation in certain RAGE events (outlined later in this document) for three main reasons:

1. We believe that cis men should have better access to education on gender equity: Gender discrimination and inequity is primarily perpetrated by cis men, many of whom are ignorant of gender-related societal problems or have received false information about the state of gender equity. If we completely exclude cis men from all conversations on gender equity, we will not be able to reach those who need this education the most. Cis men can educate each other to advance gender equity: We need to make support for gender equity the norm, especially in male-dominated spaces. Some men may be more open to conversations around gender equity—and more likely to support gender equity initiatives—if encouraged by other male friends.
2. Cis men can educate each other to advance gender equity: We need to make support for gender equity the norm, especially in male-dominated spaces. Some men may be more open to conversations around gender equity—and more likely to support gender equity initiatives—if encouraged by other male friends.
3. Many cis men have proven to be strong allies in the fight for gender equity: Many men are passionate about gender equity and are willing to devote their time, energy, and skills to advancing the rights of women, trans, and nonbinary people. Many others support gender equity but do not have the tools they need to be effective allies. We should accept this allyship and build it whenever possible.

General Guidelines

People of all genders, including cis men, will be welcome at RAGE events that are focused on education, allyship, and advocacy. For example, cis men would be invited to participate in ally workshops, purely educational panel discussions, or political action-oriented events. These events will be labeled in all recruitment materials as: *Open to all genders*

Cis men should not join events that are focused on community-building, professional development for women, trans, and nonbinary students, grievance-airing, or networking that is specifically meant for women, trans, and nonbinary students. For example, cis men should not join events like community gathering spaces or employer meet and greets that are specifically targeted toward the women, trans and nonbinary community. These events will be labeled in all recruitment materials as *Open to women, trans, and nonbinary students*

Guidelines for cis men participation in the RAGE board

As an organization that aims to provide support to those experiencing gender bias, we envision that the RAGE board will primarily be led by women, trans, and nonbinary students. However, recognizing the importance of having men participate in the movement for gender equity, we will allow men to apply for positions on the RAGE board. We hope that our members will only vote for men who have demonstrated (through their application) an excellent understanding of gender equity issues, a passion for advancing gender equity, respect for women, trans, and nonbinary colleagues, and a willingness to defer to the leadership of women, trans, and nonbinary people. To prevent cis men from being overrepresented on the board, which we believe would take away from RAGE’s mission, we propose that cis men cannot make up more than one third of the board.

Guidelines for cis men who are participating in a RAGE event

These will be shown at the beginning of any RAGE event that is open to all genders.

1. Listen Actively

• Listen actively during discussions by absorbing what you hear from your women, trans, and nonbinary colleagues without judgment. Reflect on how you fit into the discussion and think about what steps you can take in the future to support or advance gender equity
• Acknowledge that the primary focus of the space is to uplift the voices of women, trans and non-binary individuals. Avoid dominating the conversation. Speaking once or twice may be appropriate, but you should not be talking more than most women, trans, and nonbinary people in the room.

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2. Amplify Voices:

• When appropriate, encourage and amplify the voices of women and non-binary members by acknowledging and highlighting their contributions.

• However, avoid repeating or paraphrasing what someone has just said. Also, avoid attempting to relate to women, trans, and nonbinary people in cases where you have not actually shared the same lived experience.

• For example, an appropriate note of encouragement could be something like: “I really appreciate what you just said about homework group dynamics. I have also heard that from many of my other friends and I’m planning to bring it up with some of my group mates who are men.”

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3. Avoid Mansplaining and Interrupting:

• Avoid interrupting others while they are speaking. If you accidentally interrupt, please apologize and allow the other person to continue.

• Refrain from "mansplaining," which involves explaining issues or concepts in a condescending or patronizing manner (or giving an unsolicited explanation).

• Examples of mansplaining include: (1) A man explaining renewable energy to a woman who has a background in environmental policy, when the man is aware of her experience and credibility. (2) A man attempting to explain misogyny to a woman. (3) A cis man attempting to explain trans rights to a trans person.

• Tips for avoiding mansplaining: (1) Avoid giving advice or explaining things when you have not been asked. (2) If asked for your opinion or an explanation, make sure you listen to the question and fully understand what is being asked of you before answering. Otherwise, you may end up giving information that the other person already knows. A good way to start your explanation could be something like: “I’d love to talk about X. Just to make sure I don’t start a tangent about something you might already know, could you tell me more about the information you have so far, and what you’re looking to find out about?” Or: “Just to make sure I understand, you’re wanting to know specifically about X?”)

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4. Respect Privacy and Boundaries and Ask Permission Before Sharing:

• In general, avoid asking questions about personal, sensitive, or potentially triggering topics.

• Do not share any personal experiences or stories outside the room where you heard it unless you have specific permission from the individual. Just because someone shared something with one group of people does not mean that it is public information.

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5. Use Inclusive Language:

• Use inclusive language that respects and acknowledges various gender identities and expressions.

• Make sure to use preferred pronouns (she/her, they/them, he/him). If you are not sure of someone’s pronouns, you should try to use their name instead of pronouns until you learn the correct pronouns. See Pronouns Matter | LGBT Resource Center (ucsf.edu) for more information.

• See Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language | National Institutes of Health (NIH) for examples of how to use inclusive language.

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6. Avoid "Whataboutism":

• Avoid diverting conversations by saying "What about men?" or similar statements.

• Although we can acknowledge that many cis men have myriad struggles relating to their socioeconomic status, race, sexuality, ability, and more, these conversations are not always relevant to the topic of gender equity.

• There may be cases in which cis men are victims of gender inequity, especially in a structural context. For example, under the patriarchy, men may experience difficult expectations and pressure. However, the greatest burden of gender inequity falls on women, nonbinary and trans individuals. As such our efforts focus on supporting and empowering these groups.

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7. Check Your Privilege:

• Be aware of your privilege as a cis man and how it may impact your perspective.

• Use your privilege to advocate for gender equality. If people listen to you, use your voice. If you have resources, donate to advocacy groups or relief agencies. If you have a large network, help disseminate information about campaigns and events.

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8. Feedback and Accountability:

• Be open to feedback from women and non-binary members and hold yourself accountable.

• Everyone makes mistakes. A good ally owns up to them.

• There are three parts to an apology: Saying “I am sorry.” Acknowledging and understanding what it was you did wrong and why it was wrong. Saying what you will do in the future to avoid making the same mistake again.

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9. Advocate Outside the Space:

• Take the initiative to educate yourself about gender equity.

• Extend your advocacy for gender equity beyond the club by actively supporting policies, initiatives and elected officials that advance gender equity.

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10. Don’t Just Come for the Pizza:

• There has been a history of men showing up to RAGE events, taking pizza and leaving. This is extremely disrespectful and takes resources away from our community.

• You may not take food from a RAGE event unless you are staying for the event.

• Please stay for the entire event– arriving a few minutes late or leaving a few minutes early is okay, but joining for just long enough to eat the food is not acceptable.

• If you are only interested in our event because of the food, please examine and rethink your intentions.