Why are YOU Taking \u3cem\u3eGender and the Law\u3c/em\u3e?: Deconstructing the Norms that Keep Men Out of the Law School’s “Pink Ghetto”

Disproportionately few men enroll in gender-focused law school seminars. Reasons for that reluctance may include that men fear jeopardizing their gains from the patriarchal dividend and that interest in gender issues violates the dominant culture\u27s sexist and heterosexist norms regarding proper masculine roles. While there are powerful reasons for believing men should not be in these courses at all, male feminism should offer a distinct voice that does not purport to speak for womyn or allege to have suffered oppression in the manner that womyn have. Exploring a new vocabulary in gender education, encouraging awareness of feminist issues, dismantling of male solidarity, and destabilization of masculine norms through utopian reconceptualization in fiction can mitigate the forces that prevent men from enrolling in gender focused courses. Many of these lessons translate well to feminist efforts beyond the law school classroom