Dear Ms. O’Neill,
As the president of the National Organization for Women, you are in the national spotlight as a spokesperson and representative for feminist minded individuals across the nation, and arguably the planet.
It has long been asserted by many feminist icons that the ideals you support are rooted in the desire for equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law for women everywhere. Many self-proclaimed feminists have rejected the charge that feminism is driven by animosity toward men and the desire to foster female supremacy.
As a men’s activist who has long sought to bring attention to issues adversely affecting men and boys, I have frequently been instructed by feminists that my personal perception of feminism is off base. I have been told repeatedly that feminism is about, and only about, equality. I have also been informed on many occasions that feminist goals are ones that will also benefit men because they foster and embrace a more just and equal society. I would like to extend the opportunity to lend merit and credibility to those ideas.
Recently, information was made public about members of a feminist website known as Radfem Hub. This internet portal is one that hosts articles and opinions by such feminist notables as scholar Sheila Jeffreys and columnist Julie Bindle.
But a private forum on that site, run with the clear support and knowledge of its ownership, was discovered to contain frequent and egregious examples of hate speech that can only be considered to constitute a culture of hate. The discussion there included the promotion of murder, mass murder, both of children and adult males, eugenics, sexual mutilation and other depraved, criminal acts. All of these ideas were furthered under the banner of feminism, the cause for which you work so actively.
These were not fringe radicals residing on the periphery of your movement. They were qualified individuals, holding important, often prestigious positions in their respective communities.
These include Pamela O’Shaughnessy, a bestselling novelist for Simon and Schuster, Kat Pinder, a community development coordinator for the City of Perth in Australia, Mary Syrett, a writer and member of the City of Kingston Arts Council in Ontario, Canada, Julie LeComte, a communications assistant for the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Australia, Lorraine Allen, a special education teacher at The Center for Discovery Hurleyville, New York, and Laila Namdarkhan, who was instrumental in passing legislation in the U.K. Regarding the mental health of women in prisons.
All of these individuals were positively identified and their statements advocating criminal violence in support of feminist goals were documented. You can read the entire overview HERE.
This presents a very unfortunate and disturbing situation, but also a clear opportunity that may provide the silver lining to this cloud.
It gives you, Ms. O’Neill, a nationally recognized and credible authority on feminism and its agenda, the opportunity to help define what feminism is about to those who currently question it – and to distance yourself and your cause from these hateful individuals.
So I am writing to ask you, on behalf of the many thousands that will hear your answer, what is your position on this type of speech in the name of your cause? Do you reject and condemn these individuals and their statements, publicly and without reservation?
Do you plan to issue a statement demonstrating your objection to calls for violence in the name of feminist goals? Or, conversely, do you support these individuals, by action or omission, and their desire to inflict harm and death as a way to fulfill their political objectives?
Your answers to these questions will settle any lingering doubt about the state of modern feminism, just as your failure to answer will do the same.
Kind regards,
Paul Elam
A Voice for Men
[Addendum: This letter was originally addressed to Kim Gandy, who is the former president of NOW. Unfortunately, NOW had not updated her profile on their website and still had her bio saying she was president of the organization.]
