There are two more stops on sleazeball PUA and Rape legalization advocate Roosh Valizadeh’s “World Tour,” both in Canada. He’s scheduled talks in Montreal on August 8 and Toronto on the 15th.
Some folks are trying to make sure he doesn’t enter Canada at all, setting up a petition on Change.org demanding that the Canadian government “DENY ‘Roosh V’ Entry to Canada for the purposes of disseminating hate.”
Here’s their basic case:
Roosh V. is coming to Canada specifically for the purposes of violating section 319 of the Canadian Criminal Code, which clearly prohibits gathering and organizing for the purposes of inciting hatred of an identifiable group. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has identified both Roosh and his website as hate-based, and the hateful misogynistic views that he is coming to Canada to disseminate are likely to breach public peace.
From advocating for the decriminalization of rape to imploring men to sexually abuse women with mental illness to straight up dehumanizing women as an entire group, ‘The Return of Kings’ is part of a hate-scene that has been developing a growing presence on the web. MRA’s and ‘Pick Up Artists’ (PUA’s) alike are attracted to Roosh and his website not only because it, like all hate groups, provides an easy scapegoat to blame all of their problems on, but because it also promises to provide them with an easy guide to sexually abusing women. The most dangerous ideas that Roosh propagates are about what to do with women in the real world: how to treat them, why and how they owe men sex, how to best take full advantage of their fundamental inhumanity. …
As a nation we have already decided that hate speech has no place in Canada. Hate is hate, and it is physically dangerous. We must ensure that Roosh and his following are not allowed to flourish in the dark corners of our society, for the same reasons that we do not allow white supremacy a legitimate place in Canada.
You can sign the petition here. So far it’s garnered more than 2600 signatures.
And move quickly: Roosh says he’ll be heading to Canada well in advance of his talks there, “staying in Montreal for many weeks to find out whether it’s a good city to visit during the summer, when the European cities empty out and become full of tourists.” Indeed, it’s possible he’s already there, though signing the petition still sends a message or revulsion at his actions and beliefs.
NOTE: The petition refers to Roosh as an MRA, though he doesn’t identify himself as one, which will probably cause numerous MRA heads to explode. It’s worth pointing out that, while Roosh doesn’t seem to care about a number of issues that MRAs purport to care about, his misogynistic ideology is in many key ways almost indistinguishable from many MRAs. Indeed, the main complaint that many MRAs have about PUAs like Roosh is that they are allegedly too enamored of women. Or, as A Voice for Men has repeatedly (and quite inaccurately) put it, that PUA’s are “pussy beggars.”
@Sandra Goodick:
Reading the first sentence I thought, “Hm, why not?” and then I laughed. Good one!
Also, arrgh. I don’t want Roosh in Montreal. It’s not that I’m afraid of him or that I think I’ll meet him here. It’s a big place. But he’s not only saying harmful things under the guise of cheesy self-improvement, he’s most likely a rapist as well as a date-rape apologist. And he has an awful record of weight-shaming, which is still pretty mainstream (unfortunately).
About the nation thing: a few weeks ago I signed a petition that I found out about here (to the U.S. government to designate the “Philosophy of Rape” site a terrorist group) but then I felt a bit silly doing so, because it was directed specifically to the U.S. government, making my name there noise instead of signal.
(Also I’m not sure of the “terrorist” designation. It seems to be a more potent word in the U.S. than in Canada, probably due at least partly to 9/11; I guess it’s a more powerful designation than “incitement to violence” particularly given different speech laws? Anyway.)
All that to say that this particular petition doesn’t seem as country-specific. I mean, it has to do with Canada, but it doesn’t say that the signers need to be Canadians.
I’m a page and a couple days late, but hi Lauren!
Excellent green kitty face. Much approval. Welcome to the furrinati! There’s a welcome package if you clicky on the scented candle in the sidebar (if you’re not on mobile) with a couple inside jokes and fun things, and yeah.
You probably already saw that, because that’s where the kitty-face-making tutorial is, but just in case you’re way cleverer than I and figured out how to kitty-ify yourself without the step by step guide…
Welcome!
…also, thanks to Auntie Alias for pointing you out. I’m terrible at going through threads and noticing all the new folks. 🙁
If there are any other first time commenters out there, who I’m missing, feel free to pick a welcome package up! And feel free to hang out on the open threads! And all that jazz!
Except for trolls. No open threads for you, if you are trolling. No welcome packages for you, either.
Almost there. Only 133 signatures needed to achieve the goal of 5,000. Yay!
My goodness, wouldn’t it be just awesome if Roosh indeed was permanently banned from Canada?
And then from the US, and then from Earth? Not even necessarily in this order, mind you.
Ah…
34 to go!
Over 6000 and counting.
The petition has made national news in Canada:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/roosh-v-pickup-artist-shouldn-t-be-allowed-in-canada-says-petition-1.3166099
And now Doosh “threatens” to distribute his “lecture” for free on the web, if he is denied entry to Canada.
Which made me LOL, since we all* know there is absolutely nothing in that “lecture” that he has not spewed on the web already. Making it freely available to all would only prove that, showing those who paid to hear his blatherings what fools they are.
Win-win.
*MRA / PUA / redpillian company excluded.
Only a bit over 700 more signatures needed to reach the goal! I know that some commenters feel that it’s inappropriate to sign a petition for Canada if they don’t live here, but the way I see it, if you don’t live here? Signing it shows that it’s a matter of importance to people outside the country too.
I’m hoping that the petition works and that he doesn’t get let into the country.
It’s starting to hit the news and the federal government. Apparently some other misogynist asshat that I’d never heard about got barred entry on the weekend, so there’s plenty of precedent.
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/201508/05/01-4890652-controverse-autour-de-la-tournee-dun-blogueur-repute-misogyne.php
Hey David? how did that petition go? Did it work out for ya? lol