US Senators Flake and Coon's friendship is a rare exception of constructive male bonding. Though of opposing parties, they collaborated to initiate an FBI investigation to examine Dr Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Together, they took the allegations into account, organised a space for doubt, and responded to them.
Throughout Kavanaugh's confirmation process, male relationships could be seen that exercised little consideration for their female counterparts. President Trump's appraisal of Kavanaugh at a political rally, and his criticism of Blasey Ford, was just one instance of this.
Like him, Senator Lindsay Graham supported Kavanaugh and openly criticised Blasey Ford. His speech at the hearing initiated a series of all-male speeches in support of their party's choice. These examples are symptomatic of the reality of male relationships in our society.
Men do not have to end their relationships over sexual assault allegations. They need to renegotiate and restructure the dynamics of their male bonds. Too many men are eager to call the shots and charge ahead. Why don't they press pause for once, and listen?
Last year, a group of US Marines shared sexually explicit photos of their female colleagues on a Facebook group called United Marines. The group included active and retired marines. Closer to home, a similar incident occurred at Melbourne's St Michael's Grammar School in 2016. Boys shared sexually explicit photos of underage girls.
Similarly, Brighton Grammar in Victoria expelled two senior boys who had set up an Instagram account and encouraged people to vote for 'Slut of the Year'. Echoes of this can be heard in Kavanaugh's high school yearbook and its references to the 'Renate Alumni' — a sexual reference to a female friend named Renate Schroeder.
In such cases women are objectified and sexualised — their bodies, their behaviour, their shame and their humiliation provide a form of entertainment. This is a type of male bonding initiated at the expense and exploitation of their female counterparts.
"Men need to say less and do more for each other. They need to hold each other accountable for their behaviour, both past and present."
The patriarchy is still in place and this is certainly an intergenerational problem. But since the start of the #MeToo movement, something has changed: men are under pressure to be better, much better. As this NBC article on the Kavanaugh confirmation battle states:
'Some men fear diminishment, that their strength and sexuality will become less vibrant,