To the men in the välstrukna shirts

"There came a strange man to me on the street and said that he loved me. I was on my way home after a lecture and was easily stressed out in a crosswalk when he tapped me on the shoulder. My terrified eyes turned around and looked straight into a man in his fifties, wearing a perfect runner light blue shirt and well-fitting suit: ”I just have to say that I love you.” "

"He smiles. And now I am also doing it. For I feel the love. He immediately proceeds to tell us that he thinks that my activism and my work improves for his sons and daughters. That I make him stronger and braver."

"Now it will be too much for me. So big and beautiful words, I absolutely cannot take it all in. I am downright lousy at accepting compliments. "

"When it becomes like the epic I become so embarrassed and uncomfortable, I look down at my shoes, as if I got in trouble rather than praise. I may not present a proper answer without just saying thank you more times than what is socially acceptable and -shakes -in the negative on the head in pace with his superlatives. I look a right fucking fool, frankly."

"After that we took a -selfie, which he will show his children – and the male co-workers (!) – hugging, we goodbye at the intersection and he goes in the way. Still, I stand by everything I had wanted to say (that is to say, beyond ”thank you, thank you, thank you, no, but god, no, no, no, why, no, so, thank you, thank you, thank you”). "

"Because I was too wimpy and touched to be able to formulate a single stringent opinion, I want to respond to him now."

"To the man in the suit, and to all the other men who are like you, I want to say that you are giving me hope. You, who show love, vulnerability, openness and warmth. Reading about equality, thinking and questioning. Which supports the activists, listen, and challenge the spontaneous reflex is to go defensive."

"I hear you, who have taken to gender equality is something that must actively be created by more knowledge, courage and probably a lot of bad mood in a group of friends, the locker room or on the coffee break. And above all take to safeguard gender equality is not something to get gold stars for – it is only a reasonable minimum."

"I see you trying. You who learn from your mistakes, ask for advice and take their own initiatives. That challenge patriarchal structures and outdated standards that you want to become better fathers, partners and people. If you want to understand and sets a higher standard for yourselves."

"I see you more and more often. We seen on the idrottsevent and in the bars. In the comments field, or office space. On the bus or in the intersection. And I especially want to say, the most important thing, that I didn't get up – I love you."