I’m a cis white man, so I’m the devil.

Ah—poor you.

Give me a break.

The cis, white man part you may have no control over, but the devil part, that’s entirely up to you.

So, are you? A devil, I mean.

How do you wield your cis, white, male privilege? Do you use your power in the world to look after your own best interests, or do you use your power to move the societal needle so that someday, you will be no more or less privileged than anyone else?

Power isn’t evil just by the nature of itself; it’s what you do with the power that you inherited by birthright of your cis, white maleness. You didn’t do anything to earn it; it was just a given. You have choices: to carry it as a burden or a curse and whine about being the devil, to throw it back and forth with your peers like a game of keep-away, or to step into the humility of the bestowal and ask the rest of us how you should use your happenstance position—and then listen.

Listen. Don’t mansplain. Power doesn’t mean you know more; it just means you were given more.

If the devil isn’t who you are, if it is nothing more than a label you inherited with your place of privilege—prove it. We need you—the rest of us who weren’t born into the god-given right to rule. We need you to have our backs and stand beside us like never before. We need to champion our safety, our autonomy, our possibility, and our ability to flourish. Gentlemen, if you want us to welcome you into our hearts, our arms, and our bodies, then be worthy of us.

There are so many ways to prove yourselves worthy, so many ways to demonstrate that you will cherish, protect, and defend us. Stripping us of our rights and autonomy won’t do the trick. Power and privilege carry with them the weight of impact. This should inspire you to be more gentle, more in tune, more self-aware, and more determined to make space for us, to hold us, lift us, sustain us—not beat us down and stomp all over us simply because you can. When we are safe, cherished, and nurtured, we all reap the benefits. Stepping aside so we can shine does not diminish you; it lights your way.

Women aren’t the only ones who must step into the power and wisdom of the feminine; you must, too. It is the most consistent and persistent power in the universe. Embracing it will only complete you. Embrace feminist. It’s not a bad word; it’s not something of the past; it is the thing that strikes fear into the cold hearts of the small-minded.

What matters more to you, the health of your stock portfolio or the well-being of your daughter? What holds more weight, the twisted idea that feminism is somehow an attack on your masculinity or the prospect of playing a small role in ensuring the women in your life don’t have to fight for every inch in every moment of their lives? You love us? You adore us? You need us? You cherish us?

Prove it.

Yes, cis, white male, you have power and privilege. How are you going to use it?

*I write from the perspective of a woman because it is my lived experience, and in no way would I even pretend to be qualified to speak for the myriad groups who are also under/unrepresented in our social construct, but I acknowledge them with all of the solidarity and compassion that I possess.