Encourage and support men's efforts at positive personal and social change, and provide a virtual community to men (and women) who may feel isolated in their political efforts and/or their personal realisations and struggles.

This list is different from other men's e-mail lists that already exist. These are often dominated by men's rights and anti-feminist ideologies, and we wish to provide an alternative. Both men and women are welcome to participate on this list.

As far as we are aware there is no other pro-feminist men's e-mail list in operation. (There were one or two US ones, but they folded in 1995 or 1996.)

This list has three central guidelines: it is pro-feminist, male-positive, and encourages respectful discussion.

PRO-FEMINIST

This is a pro-feminist list. This means that a general support for feminism should be the background for any discussion. The basic validity of feminism as a viewpoint is not up for debate on this list. In other words, anti-feminist postings are unwelcome.

Postings which describe men's involvement in sexism or gender injustice and how to undo this, which explore men's relationship to feminism and the women's movements, which take a gender issue and examine men's role in it, or which discuss the personal and political efforts men can and do make (for example in developing non-oppressive forms of masculinity, non-sexist relations with women or non-hierarchical relations with other men) are most welcome on this list.

Calling this list "pro-feminist" does not mean that all postings must be explicitly supportive of feminism, concerned with typically feminist issues or limited only to ideas and theories derived from feminism. But it does mean that postings should not be anti-feminist or anti-women. Criticisms of aspects of feminist analysis or practice are acceptable, as long as the
intent is to advance the projects of feminism or pro-feminism. Simplistic or hostile statements about feminism are not.

MALE-POSITIVE

As well as being pro-feminist, this list is male-positive. This means that it is intended to represent a hopefulness and optimism about men, a belief that men can change, and support for men's efforts at positive personal and social change. This list assumes that there is nothing essential or fundamental to being male which prevents men from living in non-oppressive
and healthy ways. It encourages the formation of supportive alliances among men (as well as with women).

Posting which celebrate men's experiences of personal and social change, which explore the benefits to men of new ways of living and being, which investigate how aspects of men's lives which are impoverished or unhealthy can be addressed, which describe times when strategies for change have worked, are all most welcome on this list.

Male-positivity is balanced by pro-feminism. Being male-positive doesn't mean supporting whatever men do. Being male-positive is compatible with criticising oppressive or destructive aspects of men's behaviours and attitudes, men's groups or men's movements.

Postings which make sweeping and negative generalisations about men are unwelcome on this list. So are postings which imply that men are somehow intrinsically bad, oppressive or sexist or which assume the worst in men's motives.

RESPECTFUL

Postings to this list in general should be constructive, respectful and friendly. This list is intended to be a forum for the mutual exchange of ideas, strategies, experiences and resources, rather than a place for insults and hostilities.

People on the PROFEM list will disagree on some issues, and this is only to be expected given the diversity of feminist thought and of people's lives. Nevertheless, an attitude of mutual respect is expected. Responses to apost that you disagree with are not expected to pick apart that post in a hostile manner but to describe alternative points of view and their supporting reasons.

Postings which are racist, homophobic, classist or promote other forms of prejudice, and postings which focus on abusive personal attack, have no place on this list.

No topic is inappropriate on this list. Discussion of areas such as family  law and child custody for example, often the domain of men's rights advocates, is welcome here (provided that it fits within the guidelines stated above.)

People who violate persistently any of these guidelines will be removed from the list.

WHO IS PROFEM FOR?

We want this list to be relevant for at least the following people:

Activists and others engaged in political campaigns to do with men's and gender issues;

People involved in men's issues such as counsellors, teachers, social workers and carers;

MODERATION

The PROFEM list is moderated.

MEMBERSHIP

There are two versions of the list. The regular list sends you individual messages as they come in. The Digest version compiles messages into one or more long messages and sends it out once or twice a day.

You can subscribe to either the regular version or the digest but not both.

Subscribe to the regular list by sending a message to
majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au with the text: subscribe profem-l

Subscribe to the digest list by sending a message to
majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au with the text:

subscribe profem-l-digest

Make sure your signature is turned off for these messages.
(And note that it's the letter "L", not the number "1".)

To get off the lists send a message to
majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au with the text:

unsubscribe profem-l or unsubscribe profem-l-digest

in the body of the message. Again, make sure your signature is turned off for this message.

LIST OWNERS

Gerry Orkin and Michael Flood set up this list in January 1997. They are both in Canberra, Australia.

Michael is the founder of XY magazine, an Australian magazine about men and masculinities, and was its coordinating editor for its first six years. He is a PhD student researching heterosexual men's sexuality and safe/unsafe sex. He was involved in Men Against Sexual Assault (MASA) for several years, before the damn PhD made him far too busy. He's been active in men's
issues for ten or so years.

Gerry was also an editor of XY magazine. His interest in men's issues goes back about 15 years. He has developed anti-violence programs for use in schools and has trained counsellors, teachers and youth workers in work
with men. Gerry is convenor of the ACT Men's Health and Wellbeing Association, a parent and a general meddler in things masculine (no, not hunting or fishing).