Young Men Are Liberal, Not Reactionary

National polling (The Argument’s Feb 2026 survey: n=3,003; aggregated ~13,000 responses) shows men under 45 — including Gen Z men — express more progressive views on changing gender norms than older male cohorts. Media narratives that portray young men as a distinct reactionary bloc misread the data; the gap often reflects young women moving left or differences in what 'traditional gender roles' signals to respondents. — This reframes who is the political problem (generational change, not a 'bro' backlash) and should alter campaign messaging, media coverage, and policy debates about gender and youth politics.