Over the last several decades, radical feminist ideas have successfully convinced generations of young people that women don’t need men, that children should never come before a woman’s career, that masculinity is toxic, that sex is “free,” and that “a woman can do anything a man can do, and with heels on.” As a result, fewer young women aim to be wives or mothers, and many who do are ashamed to admit it. Instead, women have been taught to see the procreative aspects of who they are as problems rather than gifts.
According to Pew Research, women now account for record shares of chief executive and board positions, but nearly twice as many high school girls as boys say not enough women are in the workforce. Pew also reports that the number of young women who support abortion continues to increase. In 2024, 76% of young women between the ages 18 to 29 were pro-abortion. And, as more young men and dads return to church, more young women and single moms are staying away.
Today, young women who align with feminist ideology are the majority. They’ve been taught to put themselves before faith or family. They’ve been taught that certain vices are virtues, that they are the victims of a male-dominated society, and that men are their enemies.
And now, a similar interloper movement is seeking to change the hearts and minds of men just as the sexual revolution did for women. In one sense, this movement is a reaction to the excesses of Covid lockdowns, the #MeToo movement, and DEI. It is a movement much like feminism, only for men.
A growing segment of Gen-Z males, particularly among those who lean conservative, are following extremist influencers who teach that vices are virtues, that men are victims, and that women are enemies. For example, there’s Andrew Tate and his chest-thumping, self-focused hyper-masculinity. More recently, especially in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Nick Fuentes has gained the market share of lost boys who are looking to believe in something. Fuentes focuses on national, political, and racial preservation, with a call to burn the rest down. His is a Nietzschean call to power, which involves Jew hatred, the mocking and threatening of women, and an allegiance to white, American men.
Before it was taken down for violating hate speech policies, Fuentes’ America First was the number one trending podcast on Spotify. His followers, known as “Groypers,” are growing, even though Fuentes was also de-platformed by YouTube and Apple. Fuentes’ livestream following the assassination of Kirk attracted over 2.5 million views.
Recently, podcaster Liam Deboer attempted to explain the Fuentes phenomenon:
Nick Fuentes … is the end product of a decade that told a generation of young men that their very being was a problem to be solved. … The deal once made to men—work hard and earn respect — was torn up. In its place came scorn … When every fair complaint from a moderate was branded as hate speech, many stopped trying to prove their innocence. For years, moderates believed debate could bridge the divide. But when [Kirk] was gunned down, a dark realization set in. These people were celebrating blood … That’s when many young men realized, if you can murder someone for talk, then there’s nothing left to talk about. Fuentes rose in that void, not as a mastermind, but as a symbol of what happens when shame and exclusion curdle into fury.
Fallen people, especially young men, are quick to accept explanations that excuse their own sin and treat them as victims. This is a big part of Fuentes’ appeal. A bigger part is that there is a group of young men who believe that life has no meaning and no moral structure. They are looking for identity in all the wrong places.
Parents and pastors should ask young men who they are following and what their vision is for being a man. The biblical vision of masculinity is big and focused outward: loving God, protecting others, caring for families, working and providing, defending the weak, looking after widows and the fatherless, and leaving things better than they were found. It stands in stark contrast to a vision of the perpetually adolescent male, which mocks everything and neither builds nor defends anything. It is built on outrage and frustration, which, though often appropriate, cannot offer a vision for life. Rather, it is essentially feminism for men. It will cause as much damage to them as its counterpart has to women.
This Breakpoint was co-authored by Hayley Wilson.
Originally published at BreakPoint.
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center, equipping Christians to live with clarity, confidence, and courage in today’s cultural moment. A sought-after speaker and author on faith, culture, theology, worldview, education, and apologetics, he has co-authored five books, including A Practical Guide to Culture, A Student’s Guide to Culture, and Restoring All Things. John hosts Breakpoint, the nationally syndicated commentary founded by Chuck Colson, and The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview and cultural issues. Previously, he held leadership roles at Summit Ministries and taught biblical studies at Bryan College (TN). He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.
