General Discussion

and personal. I don't want to discount or diminish the experience you have, nor defame anyone you care about.

I recognize that there are people left behind by our political ecosystem - the media, the courts, police, etc.

That being said (usually a tell that you can ignore all that follows, but in this case I hope you read on), in terms of political influence and dominance of the memosphere, young men are hegemonic in their power. By memosphere, I mean the broader Dawkins sense of cultural units that exist in public consciousness.

You are quite correct that the emergence of the "young male voter" demographic in electoral politics requires that we speak to these individuals. But how? We don't do it by surrendering our principles and embracing figures that exemplify what one might problematically call "toxic masculinity".

I'm a dude, and I have been a young dude. In my youth I broke up with my girlfriend because she terminated a pregnancy against my desire. It took me a long time to realize that, pro-choice I may be, that this was something that was entirely her call.

There is some biology in this too. Male and female brains are wired differently.

But to the point, we speak to young men by making clear what we believe, fighting for what we believe, and winning once every so often.