Tom Martin, a former gender studies student at the London School of Economics, recently became a minor celebrity amongst Men’s Rights activists and other angry men when he sued his alma mater for alleged sexism against men.
He’s now had his case thrown out of court. Let’s go to the Camden New Journal for details:
Tom Martin, 39, who lives in Covent Garden, claimed he suffered “anti-male discrimination” while studying for a master’s degree in gender, media and culture at the world-famous university in Holborn.
Representing himself at his application for a trial at the Central London County Court on Tuesday, Mr Martin complained of a lack of men-only sessions in the university’s gym and the preponderance of posters in the corridors advertising services for women without the presence of similar materials geared towards men.
Mr Martin, who describes himself as a feminist, said “hard” chairs in the library were uncomfortable for men and that a “male blaming culture” was evident in course materials, which “ignored men’s issues” and focused on wrongs done by them.
Damn those misandrist chairs and their man-hating hardness!
The judge didn’t buy it, saying Martin’s case had essentially no chance of success. He threw out the case and ordered Martin to pay LSE’s legal costs.
Martin, welcome to reality.
On Twitter, Martin responded to the news by calling his critics “whores.” One of many examples:
But I was really discriminated against, you whores!
And, yes, his Twitter handle is indeed Sexismbusters.org.
EDITED TO ADD: Actual headline today on What Men are Saying About Women:
EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: Tom Martin has replied to this post in the comments. Some highlights:
My legal complaint did NOT involve a complaint about the seating. You have been misled by the press – The Times and the West End Extra/Camden New Journal both mysteriously got it wrong.
One year prior to joining the university, when visiting its library, I did complain, that the seating being hard created a greater disadvantage for men than for women, as men have considerably smaller weight-bearing buttock pads than women, and men are heavier too – so for men, on average heavier than women, have more weight bearing down onto a pad which is approximately four times smaller than women’s on average – according to a BBC documentary on the subject.
He then details his attempts to fight this grave injustice. Also, there’s this:
[S]everal comments here are confusing ‘whore’ with ‘slut’. A slut has sex freely, which I am all for. Freedom of association is the ultimate in humanity. A whore charges for sex. Even if a woman is a virgin, but is waiting for Mr Right to buy her something, she’s a whore.
It’s counter-intuitive, but a lot of professional feminists are whores. They expect the government and men to do them special favours. They make up stories to convince men and government to believe that we all owe women something.
But really, if someone were keeping a tab, then…
Women owe men five years pension.
Women owe men some National Service.
Women owe men some inventions.
Women owe men positive discrimination in university curricula.
Women owe men some child access.
It’s women’s round at the bar too.
For the whole thing, see here.
For more charming quotes from Tom, see this post on the blog Butterflies and Wheels.
I also really want to see this BBC butt size doc. I can’t decide if it would be funnier presented by Brian Sewell or Jonathan Meades.
I may need to consult british people about that one, because over here in the US, I have never witnessed a public scorning of men with wigs (at least not men with wigs that resulted in a male coded hair style).
I totally support your desire to wear a cool wig, may I suggest one of these:
http://www.personalized-dog-clothes.com/photo/pd376967-long_synthetic_straight_puiple_custom_cosplay_wigs_for_men.jpg
http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/hair-wigs-photo.jpg
http://assets.pakwheels.com/forums/2009/10/6/weird-wigs-04_RC9_PakWheels%28com%29.jpg
I’ve certainly heard men mocked for wearing toupées. Like George on Seinfeld, or Trump for his combover.
But Darksidecat, those wigs are awesome.
@Katz:
Yeah the use of the word “forced” made me chuckle.
@felixBC, yeah, Martin needs all the help he can get. What am I, some sort of cruel person who would suggest a non-awesome wig?
Darkside cat, that one wig looks like she starched her grandmothers rag rug with epoxy glue and then stuck it on her head! What is someone wearing this to do in the event of a breezy day?
Sail?
Chia pet hair?! !!REALLY?!
Seriously, I think men’s boxing and tennis matches are longer because men are considered stronger, and sexism against women is so ingrained that sports officials seriously think things like “those delicate little ladies would just collapse after 5 sets, let’s cut it to 3 so we don’t overtax them.”
Note that I would not present this as the most pressing issue facing feminism today. But I’m just saying.
You know, I was almost ready to give Tom a pat on the head – after all, he chose an issue and took action. It was a bizarrely specific issue that might not actually be one, but whatever, journey of a thousand miles et cetera. But at the time I’d never heard of him and so I’d didn’t realize how much effort he’d spend talking that goodwill away. First just by normal delusions – the mildly offensive but boring argument that women’s fat asses give them competitive advantages in scholarly chair-sitting, the possibly-reaching argument that comfy chairs could be a deciding factor in closing the gender gap in degree attainment. Now assuming that he’s spinning Chairgate properly, that goes in his win column and instead of using it as a springboard to something bigger he’s parked here gnashing his teeth and stomping his feet until we admit that we are ready to take his epic victory as seriously as it deserves. Ladies – the library chairs at the London School of Economics have cushions now. Gaze upon my works, ye mighty, and dispair.
Theeeeennnn the skank whore bitch chorus starts. Aaaaannnnd we’re done. Someone somewhere should let him see the inside of a courtroom just to make the LSE faculty call him a douche under oath.
No. The rag rug one looks more like something they’d design to keep race cars on the road. Person is likely to get stuck to the side of a building should they venture out of doors.
Tom reminds me of DKM with his distinction between the evil feminist whores and the nice, “real” women whom he loves, so how dare you accuse him of being misogynistic.
MRAs, on the other hand, have real issues to address, issues that are killing us.
Damn, those are some hard chairs.
“…You know, I was almost ready to give Tom a pat on the head – after all, he chose an issue and took action…”
That’s impossible. There is no activism in the Men’s Rights Movement, so I’ve been led to believe by David.
Tom, your video is a steaming pile of crap. And I’m going to show you in excruciating detail why.
0:42 Firstly, you draw your conclusions about the people you are going to interview before even beginning “research”. That’s a good start.
1:05 What an outright lie! You can at least show video clips of students actually saying or implying such things. But you don’t. Furthermore, have you actually asked feminists “Are only one gender oppressed?”, and I mean really ask for an honest, rational discussion, not when they are angry at you. The results you would get would be startling.
1:12 You already demonize the people you are going to interview as irrational harpies before it actually happens! And that has only happened among one of the people you interviewed.
What’s funnier is how they just ignore you, like any other person who hands out pamphlets. But undoubtedly to the people who don’t question and think this will come across on their minds as surely evidence of men’s issues being ignored.
1:31 If she isn’t in gender studies how can she be a “gender student”. Furthermore, why are you asking someone who isn’t in gender studies to speak about gender. One would think to interview someone who is into gender studies to speak about gender. Not a good start.
Also, using the blaring flashing yellow lights “She is a gender student!” is juvenile. This is what propagandists do to illicit a gut reaction. It does not encourage reason.
And she says herself that gender studies is not overtly women based, just women’s studies is. The stupid burns!
1:56 Blaring, flashing lights “She reads a lot of feminism!” Way to go, fear monger.
She even asks reasonably for your opinion, “Do you as a man feel sexism as I do as a woman?”
2:36 You could wait until AFTER THE INTERVIEWS before spouting your propaganda. Cue blaring, flashing, yellow lights. You also conveniently neglect to mention that the Pay Gap Issue is a controversy and that there isn’t a unanimous one sided conclusion to be taught as obvious fact. It’s not like teaching the sun revolves around the earth to elementary school children.
4:06 And that was partly because feminists stood by and helped union workers secure their right to vote. There’s also much more with women than the right to vote.
4:17 1) The issues women faced is much more than just the vote. 2) It would be nice if you provided sources for your claims.
Guess who prevents women from being conscripted to war? It’s not feminists.
You also conveniently forget to mention that since 1970s the National Orginization for Women have been pushing for women to be able serve in the army, and that most feminists are anti-war. If you ask feminists about these issues, you will hear that they either want both men and women to be drafted in the army or for no one to be drafted at all.
But you don’t. You only ask to get responses you can conveniently twist around.
Why do people bring up this argument anyway? So people can assume that feminists want men to die in wars? I don’t understand.
Once, can you wait until after the interviews before spouting typical MRA arguments. At least have the decency to do it not in the vicinity of the people you interview.
4:53 Capturing what a student says in a moment of anger while arguing rather than in a rational conversation is a very honest way to portray one’s position. Besides, how many times did we on Manboobz explain that discrimination is not a one way street? That men suffer as well because of our dogmatic gender roles?
5:04 You could scroll down the list slower so people can actually read them in depth. Quite a bit of your objects on your list are fatuous, are caused by the assumption that women are inferior, are discrimination perpetrated against men by other men or by old and damaging gender assumptions (the same assumptions that denigrate women as inferior) or are just outright lies. You also use the words “pussy pass” in one of your objects. Do you honestly expect people to take you seriously after using terminology like that. That’s like RockingMrE calling someone a “mangina” in complete seriousness.
Your sources are poor, linking to MRA YouTube videos and blogs, which are very objective by the way. That’s like pointing to yourself and saying “The source of my information is myself because I said so.”
6:03 ZOMG a gender studies student would like more focus on men! I thought all of these gender studies students are irrational harpies!
6:17 Cue blaring, flashing, yellow lights “She is a DV expert!” No she is not. She is just a student. If you want to contact a “DV expert”, then talk to a professor. If you really wanted to know what was really being taught at the schools then why didn’t you interview professors or make live recordings of class sessions rather than just students on the street? You know, so we can all see how men are being discriminated and blamed so much?
6:27 You never write “Men more likely to beat women into unconsciousness.”
6:44 She never was an “expert” you sophist. Quite trying to set up a straw man so you can knock it down and claim victory.
6:51 Bullshit. More MRA propaganda. And you take advantage of honest students who never had to deal with MRA bullshit. You take their surprised reactions, hold up and say “Ah ha! I’ve beat them!”
I thought you wanted an interview and honest discussion with the students, not just trying to “refute” them with MRA propaganda and trying to make them look stupid, you clown.
7:37 Evil professor looking down! The truth must not be heard! Those blasted MRAs have come to save the day!
Is the MRM really nothing more then a pathetic embodiment of all the outdated ideals of masculinity desperately trying to reassert itself?
7:13 Rinse, lather, repeat.
8:03 You mean your frivolous lawsuit, right.
8:08 But I thought all of these gender studies students
8:35 Someone is doing it right.
8:36 You had donations around the world? I don’t believe y
This is what you should have done. 1) Go interview the students. 2) Listen what they actually have to say, unbiased. Do not try to intervene and shove your points down their throats to try to make them look stupid. Listen! 3) Then draw your conclusions.
Not predict from the outset that they are all irrational.
9:15 Poor students. Poor, honest, good-hearted students. They’ve been duped, not knowing how disingenuous the MRM really is. I doubt if they knew of MRM in greater depth they would think the same.
To think that anyone who has any capacity for critical thinking would believe your propaganda. How easy it is to manipulate people when you cater to their prejudices! You appear a rational and concerned human rights activist in public as all MRAs do but one only need to scratch beneath the surface to see what a malicious, manipulative, and dishonest turd you really are.
It’s disgusting how MRAs say truly vile and hateful shit on the internet and then appear on YouTube videos as injured innocents. They use every sleazy trick in the book to make women look stupid and then pretend as if they are just poor, rational, honest people being persecuted. This is shit my dad pulled on me when I was a child. You’re only fooling the sheep.
We need to show your conversations with us on Manboobz to the wider world to show how petulant and fatuous your arguments are. And how you use the word “whore” to describe all feminists and all women you don’t like. I doubt many people would consider you or any other MRA an activist for equality if we did that.
I think we should. Who’s with me?
I know this is long, but someone needed to make a full refutation of all of this guy’s crap.
People, people, large dramatic wigs are indoor wear! I thought this was dramatic dress up 101 here! XD
Brilliant Maya!!!
*re-entering discussion after cleaning house and showering self*
Woot, over 500! Did I call it or what.
But what is this I see when I cast my eyes over the thread: TOM TOM TOM you are not carrying your weight.
You are shirking!
Hardly any posts from you–if you want a decent case stuck of us playing “whack a mole” with you, you have to stick your head up more and post more. You won’t be in the running for 2012 Troll of the Year at this rate.
TSK!
Hup, hup, hup!
Maya, that was epic.
Out of these 500 or so comments, about one of them has said I’m right, and that manboobz is a douche.
I’ve seen research though, which shows you don’t need to get half the audience to agree with you, but if just one of them speaks up, pointing out something is wrong, the others are then much more likely to acknowledge that wrong thing.
If nobody speaks up, then people are prepared to go along with the wrong thing rather than speak up, even though they know its wrong, just in case they make a fool of themselves, or become ostracized from the group.
People would rather be wrong but part of the pack, than take a risk on being right, but as soon as one person acknowledges the wrong-doing, the rest chirp up too.
Then there’s in-group morality – where principles are forgotten, just to favour the group you happen to be a part of.
What a few of you are doing is saying, “he makes some valid points, but he’s not a nice man, and I’m not happy with his language”.
Well, here’s the breaking news… I’m not here to make whores feel happy.
As Matt O’Connor of F4J points out, it does not matter what approach you take with social movements, they will always shoot the messenger.
So, in F4J’s case, they won the argument in less than 5 years, but F4J activists are ‘not nice’ – meanwhile, feminism rendered itself even less valid, by refusing to address the core equality issues for fathers.
In the case of gender studies, it would rather deny everything, even to the point of all gender studies research funding being cut in Norway for instance. They would rather scuttle the ship than grow up.
Domestic violence shelters would rather close than admit men.
Men’s rights activists increasingly realize there is little point in debating with professionally obtuse male-blaming victim-feminists. Just step round, and speak to the people.
When you were little, was it your burning ambition to one day grow up to be a mocking obfuscator resisting gender equality discourse? – because that’s all you are.
There is nothing radical about the oldest profession.
I’ve seen research though, which shows you don’t need to get half the audience to agree with you, but if just one of them speaks up, pointing out something is wrong, the others are then much more likely to acknowledge that wrong thing.
The lurkers agree with him in email!
I’m still waiting to hear the title of this BBC documentary.
But I suspect it’ll be quite a long wait, because someone who posed the same question to him earlier has told me that Tom can’t actually remember specifics: he thinks that it might have been an Open University broadcast that might have been in 2006 or thereabouts, but he’s not sure, and he can’t remember the title so it’s impossible to check.
Now that’s what I call incisive, detailed referencing.
Of course, if that’s misrepresenting his position, he’s most welcome to fill in some or all of the blanks.
I don’t know about y’all, but MY lifelong ambition HAS been to grow up to be a discourse! Now I may die in peace!
who is manboobz? mras keep talking about this manboobz person……
Fuck you, sex workers are people too. Plus you consider all women whores so you don’t give a damn about any suffering women face.
Yeah I get it we are all “whores” (but you still haven’t answered if men can be as well!)