Other PressSexo y solidaridad 17:45 May 31 0 comments La società maschilista del Sud Africa, dove le aggressioni contro le donne sono la norma 21:17 Feb 21 0 comments South Africa's macho society, where attacks on women are the norm 18:44 Feb 19 0 comments The Invisible Link: Honor Killing and Global Capitalism 19:17 Jan 24 0 comments Presas políticas vascas 03:38 Dec 23 0 comments more >> |
Recent articles by A Common Cause Toronto member
This author has not submitted any other articles.
Recent Articles about North America / Mexico GenderOrganizzarsi per resistere alla violenza ed alle aggressioni contro i ... Jul 03 13 Organize to Resist Anti-Gay Attacks and Violence! Jul 01 13 Inside the Filibuster Jun 28 13 Towards a Militant Feminist Movement: Confronting Men’s Rights Organizing
north america / mexico |
gender |
opinion / analysis
Wednesday April 24, 2013 18:44 by A Common Cause Toronto member
On the eve of International Women’s Day, so-called men’s rights advocates at the University of Toronto hosted an event confronting women’s studies and academic feminism. This was a follow-up to their event in November featuring self-proclaimed ex-feminist Warren Farrell, author of the book the Myth of Male Power. Warren Farrell is best known for his statements about women making false accusations of rape and his argument that incest can be a positive experience, if only women were not socialized to be victims. Towards a Militant Feminist Movement: Confronting Men’s Rights OrganizingOn the eve of International Women’s Day, so-called men’s rights advocates at the University of Toronto hosted an event confronting women’s studies and academic feminism. This was a follow-up to their event in November featuring self-proclaimed ex-feminist Warren Farrell, author of the book the Myth of Male Power. Warren Farrell is best known for his statements about women making false accusations of rape and his argument that incest can be a positive experience, if only women were not socialized to be victims. Though figures like this, who have written that, “before we called this date rape and date fraud, we called it exciting”, make it tempting to point to these inflammatory quotes to justify our outrage at these groups, it is their fundamental discourse that we must contend with. Men’s Rights Associations have sprung up at universities across southern Ontario, including Guelph, Waterloo, McMaster and multiple campuses in Toronto. Their main position is that the hardships of men have been caused by women, the women’s rights movement and in particular, feminists. They express this position with rhetoric ranging from downright reasonable-sounding to blatantly misogynistic, but by only focusing on the latter, we risk normalizing their fundamental message that feminism oppresses men. The exploitation and increased incarceration or suicide rates of men have not been created by feminism. Some of the supposed facts that they present, such as the prevalence of false rape accusations are simply untrue, but those about drop-out rates, incarceration and suicide of men often approximate truth. We do not need to negate these facts to contend with them, but instead, must place them in an accurate political context, that of capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. The emergence of these groups and the difficulties that we have faced organizing against them are not, as these misogynists claim, a symptom of a feminist movement on campuses gone-too-far, but a disturbing sign of the lack of radical feminist organizing in recent years. As of late, students and leftists have most often responded to issues of patriarchy through token lip service, and not organized responses. These misogynist organizations have seized on this organizing vacuum, so that we are now in a position where the historical fact of the systemic oppression of women is being challenged. As we began to organize a response to this most recent event, we had to confront the criticisms leveraged from our previous action – doors were blocked, there was a confrontation with the police, and vocal or militant women present at the demonstration were identified and targeted on the internet, harassed and threatened.
As with populist white supremacist organizations, these misogynist groups have relied heavily on arguments of free speech and the “reverse oppression” faced by the white man at the hands of organized marginalized groups. In some spaces, the debate was successfully reframed to be about the illegitimacy of militancy and the virtues of free speech. We should know to expect these arguments. With the administration siding with the misogynists, many organizing around this issue along liberal lines were visibly shaken. Many were afraid to confront the misogynists again, for fear of retaliation. Nevertheless, what must be done remains the same. We need to move towards reactivating a radical, militant feminist movement that can contend, not just with the backwards misogynists of the men’s rights movement, but with the issues that continue to affect women everyday on their campuses, from systemic oppression in male-dominated fields to the high prevalence of sexual assaults, not by turning to the police or the University administration, but through a militant organized resistance. |
Front pageQuestões Organizativas do Anarquismo Combative Unionism: Waging Class War within Labour La democracia de masas: una apuesta libertaria para el actual período A Brief History of the Rapprochement Process of US Class Struggle Anarchist Organizations La rue égyptienne plus forte que les urnes Solidaridad contra la persecución hacia la Federación Anarquista Gaucha Tear Gas & Twitter in Taksim - an anarchist eyewitness analysis from Gezi Park, Istanbul Lutar Contra o Aumento da Tarifa Pela Força e Vontade das Ruas! Les assassins de Clément Méric devront répondre de leur crime Lo que faltaba: macartismo indigenista Chile: El Frente de Estudiantes Libertarios (FEL) cumple 10 años Clasa muncitoare din România: țintă sigură în bătaia puştii capitalismului 10 years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair i-ANC Ikhumula Isifihla Buso Sayo! Kubulewe Abasebenzi! Mayday. Remembering the past, fighting for tomorrow Brazilian anarchism interview on the Crisis, World Cup, Especifismo La revolución bolivariana en la encrucijada Mobilizações contra o Aumento do Transporte em Porto Alegre, Brasil La conquête du pain, un enjeu d'actualité ! Habemus Papam: Aquel que esté libre de pecado que arroje la primera piedra Latest NewsNorth America / Mexico | Gender | en Sun 18 Aug, 20:18 MAS 2013 International Women’s Day Statement 15:48 Sat 09 Mar 0 comments Collaborative document of Queers Without Borders 08:04 Sun 01 Nov 0 comments Call for Anarchist contingent at International Women's Day march 14:30 Tue 04 Mar 0 comments Quebec city - Pro-choice outmobilizes chain for life 01:40 Tue 09 Oct 1 comments Opinion and AnalysisOrganize to Resist Anti-Gay Attacks and Violence! Jul 01 2 comments Why Women Should Join Political Organizations Sep 05 0 comments Queer Liberation and Anarchist Communism Jun 17 0 comments NEA#10: Putting the Control Back in Birth Control Apr 26 1 comments Press ReleasesMAS 2013 International Women’s Day Statement Mar 09 (MAS) 0 comments Call for Anarchist contingent at International Women's Day march Mar 04 NEFAC-NYC 0 comments |