Fun fact: The first time I heard of the group NOMAS, I thought it stood for "no more" in Spanish. I liked that. It actually means National Organization of Men Against Sexism.
As bell hooks writes, men can be women's comrade in the fight against sexism and mysogyny. Creating a safe campus and community for everyone- males, females, and trans people alike- is everyone's responsibility. Engaging men in the conversation is an important step to building a healthier community.
UCF's Men Against Rape had a solid beginning about a year or two ago, but most of the founding members graduated. That's not to say that most of the men on campus that are against sexism and rape graduated, though, and we know you male feminists are out there. It's been a special kind of stress to see a friend of mine trying to organize this now one-man organization into something viably addressing the need to talk about sexism, sexual assault, and discrimination on campus.
There has been talk of starting up a NOMAS chapter on campus. While it won't replace what Men Against Rape did, it would allow for a strong pro-feminist group on campus. According to the website, NOMAS is described: "The National Organization for Men Against Sexism is an activist organization of men and women supporting positive changes for men. NOMAS advocates a perspective that is pro-feminist, gay affirmative, anti-racist, dedicated to enhancing men's lives, and committed to justice on a broad range of social issues including class, age, religion, and physical abilities."
With only a four-member minimum, NOMAS can assist us with training materials, publicity, and financial support. That seems like reason alone to make this happen. Think we can find four pro-feminist men in a campus of 55,000+ students?
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