[TW for the comments to this post; discussions of rape and abuse.]
The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization devoted to tracking and exposing hate groups, has just published a detailed report on the misogyny and violent rhetoric so pervasive in the Men’s Rights Movement — as well as the actual violence inspired by this sort of hatred of women. It’s a piece you all should read, even though few of the details will be new to long-time readers of this blog.
Arthur Goldwag, an expert on conspiracy-mongers and the far right, argues (I think correctly) that the Men’s Rights movement is largely a backlash against the many successes of feminism over the last several decades:
It’s not much of a surprise that significant numbers of men in Western societies feel threatened by dramatic changes in their roles and that of the family in recent decades. Similar backlashes, after all, came in response to the civil rights movement, the gay rights movement, and other major societal revolutions. What is something of a shock is the verbal and physical violence of that reaction.
[Thomas] Ball’s suicide brought attention to an underworld of misogynists, woman-haters whose fury goes well beyond criticism of the family court system, domestic violence laws, and false rape accusations.
The Men’s Rights Movement, as it exists today, is not a civil rights movement; it is a regressive, hateful reaction against a civil rights movement — that is, feminism.
Those who truly care about the rights of men, and who are not motivated by a hatred of women or feminism, need to repudiate the hate and the violent rhetoric of the Men’s Rights Movement as it exists today. Only then can there be a Men’s Rights Movement worthy of the name.
EDITED TO ADD: The SPLC has also put up a guide to some of the more hateful sites in the manosphere. Longtime readers will be familiar with most of them.
EDITED TO ADD AGAIN: And a piece debunking some Men’s Rights Myths.
EDITED TO ADD AGAIN, AGAIN: The discussion of the SPLC report on the Men’s Rights Subreddit is surprisingly reasonable, so far. (I mean, compared to what I expected. Meanwhile, over in this thread, the Men’s Rightsers are behaving as they usually do.)
I dunno, the comments don’t seem particularly egregious, and somewhat mainstream. I’ve seen similarly problematic posts on other websites, like Feministe, from genuine posters which were called out by others. Then again, I give everyone the benefit of the doubt so my trolldar left my ass in exasperation.
I’m a far from incapable (in terms of actually carrying out a violent intent/attack), and I don’t doubt that there are women who could rape me. Given the right conditions I can see it being done through purely emotional leverage.
Give them some form of dominance enforcing mechanism (rope, gun, etc), and they can do it no problem.
People are not the simple creatures, and the rough calculus of size/bulk aren’t the things to look at. It’s intent, and will, and application.
Pecunium. Amen! And when people get that simple point into their heads then maybe we can stop the victim blaming and figure out how to spot folks most likely to commit rape.
Support A Voice For Men And The ANCPR .I love you guys.
I have watched a man shoot himself at the Tyndall Credit Union in Panama City Beach ,Florida over child support he pleaded with his wife . I saw the blood splatter for about 6 feet. My neighbor a hard working correctional officer had half of wages taken from him for child support he was unable to pay rent and eat right and unable to socialize and have a life . I spoke with him in the community pool where i lived 2 hours later while I wen to bed I heard a loud thump from the celing I thought nothing out it .
Later I found of that thump was his body . In Florida over half a mans pay is taken from him due to Child Support . We have women popping out babies and getting free or affordable housing but what about our men in Florida we have dorms that are made just for Vets
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/11/florida-prisons-
offer-special-dorms-for-veterans/
70 percent of African American women are single
http://dimewars.com/Video/Why-are-70–of-African-American-women-single—.aspx?bcmediaid=f4d18432-7a9f-4e6c-8d77-e2419044c312
Their own women are denying them .Our men are working on wages that that are from the 70s and with gas prices you cant even live. We are filling up prisons with men that have half of their chedk taken away and expect men to live on the rest and be loving fathers when they have to steal to pay child support men are going to jail in Florida all over Florida to pay child support.
What are they getting in return nothing .No sex .No affordable housing , nothing and to make matters worse their are no job that pay a man enough to live on our manfacturing jobs are paying crap .
If a child can not live on $7.50 how can a man . The Mens Right Movement is about Fathers Rights , Child Support Issues and equality its not about violence look at sites like the ANCPR the advocate nothing more than men knowing the law .
We are killing our men while I write this I am dying I feel my heart rapidly beating not like it did 10 years ago . The stress of low wages and other issues such as affordable housing is killing our men we are going gay for heaven sakes .Its easier now to find a man than it is a women . Why wait a year when you can have it today . Men are becoming tired of playing the poppie role with no money . Men that once made $50,000 a year at a union or a plant are working for $7.50 scrubbing some grill and paying for something they never see of feel this crap has to change.
At one time I worked to have a women now when I work I work to take care of myself . I seek to be responsible and not a burden t society . Responsible men deserve access to housing and jobs and even the WIA program has shown discrimnation against men.
Oh no! Men are paying child support and they’re working but they aren’t gettting sex?
How many kids does this guy have? I love that there are always so many starving homeless fathers, when a man can go to court and show the judge that the payment expectations are too high and thereby work out a plan that does allow the man to get by.
I’m sorry about your friends death, and financial hardship may have been a factor in it.
No doubt, there’s been an attack on working people, unions, etc. That is hurting men and women. (Women work too, you know.) that is something we could unite behind, if the MRM wasn’t so dead set on blaming feminism… Sigh.
@Chris, you’re blaming the wrong people for stagnant wages and a rising cost of living. The real blame for the economic hard times should be placed on the ultra rich who are getting richer at the expense of everyone else. The recession hurts women and children, too. I have no idea why you blame feminists for any of this.
Children can’t get jobs and pay for the own food, so they rely on their parents or other caregivers to provide for them. Why should custodial parents bear all of the costs of raising children so the noncustodial parent can enjoy a higher standard of living? Allowing noncustodial parents to deprive their own children of food, medical care, and clothing is not an option. If a noncustodial parent is actually unable to afford child support, then zie can fill out a child support modification form at court. If the parent actually does have enough money but wants it all for hirself, then zie needs to stop whining, be responsible, and pay the support. A custodial parent can’t just choose to stop buying food for hir children, and neither should a noncustodial parent. By the way, the average child support payment is nowhere near half the cost of raising a child.
@Chris
last time I checked you don’t need sex to live. Feminism is not responsible for low wages, pink collar jobs pay shit, why are you complaining to us?
Wah wah…work to take care off yourself, like everyone else does. Why do you think you’re any different? Or did you think if you worked hard enough you could buy a nice little wife who will do all the cooking, cleaning and childcare for you? sorry that women being human with their own careers, goals, and life ruined that for you.
@ Qackers: Aren’t we just fuckbots? We’re clearly deviating from fuckbot programming and have caused the recession that way by not fucking MRAs, making their dinners after a hard days blogging and squeezing babies out when convenient? Therefore, us fuckbots getting jobs and gaining some societal privilege has lead to the killing of boners, which is evil and misandrous of us; we should simply put up with unequal pay, an un-ratified equal rights bill (Kudos to Phyllis Schlafly) and shittons of societal double standards for teh poor menz. After all, what is thousands of years of denial to basic things like work and education to hurt manfeels!
(TL;DR Nice post. :D)
“Men’s rights” groups are truly laughable. Since when has there been a worldwide EPIDEMIC of men being raped-abused-sexually harrassed-murdered-tortured-exploited etc. by women? Since when were men considered to be PROPERTY by women?! Since when did men not have the right to vote? Feminists like me demand to be treated as equals by men and not be treated like pieces of meat or second class citizens. Yes it is by far worse for women and girls in virtually every other fucking country, but everything is not roses for us in the USA either. I will not be silenced. I am a rape survivor. I am angry-hurt and sick of men honor murdering women and girls, domestically abusing us, raping us, emotionally abusing us, etc. ad nauseum. Men could never imagine all of the abuse we endure from them. This has to stop, and I will not stop fighting until the day I die.