Where Are the Male Allies in U.S. Politics?

The allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh are serious, but too few men — especially male politicians — have publicly supported an open and respectful hearing of her assertions. The problem of the silent man festers at the root of America’s ubiquitous workplace sexual harassment and gender exclusion. Reasons for male silence are legion, but they usually come back to a handful of things: ignorance, lack of awareness, or fear of backlash from other men. A recent report examining sexual harassment in the U.S. Marines found that only 8% of male Marines are speaking up about the harassment they are bystanders to in the workplace. But these “8 percenters” can play a crucial role in changing social and workplace norms.