First, I wanted to extend a hearty and sincere thank you to the scores of you that helped in our recent fundraiser. As the closing deadline passed, we exceeded our goal, raising $16,355.00. More is undoubtedly on the way in the mail. It was our most successful effort ever, which is something we have been able to say after each and every fundraiser that we have had. While we still rely a little too heavily on larger donors, the numbers of small donations – a critical part of success – were at an all-time high. We picked up several new monthly donors as well. So again, thank you. And now it is time to go back to putting that money to the use intended. PE
[quote]“Truth is regarded as a terrible word in this age of deconstruction.” ~ Katherine Young, from the Conference on Male Studies, April, 2010[/quote]
In six days, on April 4, 2013, the Men’s Issues Awareness Group of the Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE) is hosting yet another important discussion at the University of Toronto. This time, Drs. Paul Nathanson and Katherine Young, authors of a seminal series of books on misandry in modern culture will present a discussion titled “From Misogyny & Misandry to Intersexual Dialogue.” The discussion is billed by CAFE as “A conversation exploring the effects on both men and women of our current approach to gender and how we might foster a genuinely intersexual – and intersectional – dialogue that is both broad and deep, while incorporating all aspects of personal and social identity.”
If this were almost any other subject being addressed by almost any other speakers, it would fall into the routine of academic life; with little cause for being given any more attention than other interesting and important discussions. That is not the case, however, as Young and Nathanson are on the record as highly critical of gender feminism, and have openly expressed concerns about the effects of cultural and academic misandry.
Their upcoming presentation is now set against the backdrop of violence, obstruction, masked protest and attempts to suppress free speech that are the ongoing practice of certain elements at the University of Toronto. Anyone who would critique the current paradigm of anti-male hostility is indeed subjected to that hostility on a heightened level.
We discovered that with Dr. Warren Farrell as attendees were harassed and bullied, as promotional signs were vandalized and as doors were blocked to prevent access to his presentation on the Boy Crisis.
Subsequently, Dr. Janice Fiamengo, who was shocked and concerned about the events surrounding Dr. Farrell’s lecture, elected to respond by coming to the University of Toronto and giving a presentation on the deleterious effect of gender feminism on academic integrity. Her talk was met with masked protestors, a fire alarm being pulled to disrupt events, and ideologues using the Q & A to launch diatribes rather than questioning the information presented by Dr. Fiamengo.
Overall, the conduct of protesters was significantly less strident for Dr. Fiamengo’s lecture than it was for Dr. Farrell’s. There are generally two reasons for that. One, a video made by Studio Brule clearly showing the outrageous and hateful nature of the protesters went viral, demonstrating to the world how toxic their beliefs have become. Additionally, it was the work of A Voice for Men to identify as many of the protesters who were engaged in illegal and assaultive action at the Farrell presentation as possible and present them to the world at large. This clearly had a quieting effect on them, as they became much more covert (pulling a fire alarm and wearing masks) and noticeably more docile. Similarly, the fact that AVFM sent a news team to the Fiamengo lecture to document and expose any form of illegal protest also undoubtedly kept them in check.
But it appears the sting from all this has not set well with the more radical elements in their midst.
Common Cause, an Ontario based anarchist-communist organization is now calling for militant action against the MHRM, and they are pointing directly to the series of events at the University of Toronto. Or, as the following says on their website:
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.
The article from which this text was lifted featured images of the protesters at the Farrell lecture.
Whether this is a precursor to taking some kind of radical, illegal action at the upcoming talk by Nathanson and Young, or if it is just more hot air from the same kind of hotheaded bullies at the UTSU that were put on a leash with relatively little effort can’t be discerned at this time.
What I can tell you is that AVFM will have a live news presence at the University of Toronto on April 4, prepared to document what happens. As always, those engaged in peaceful, legal protest will be respected. Those that cross the line will be, if at all possible, identified, exposed and reported to authorities.
We will no longer tolerate the actions of ideological thugs at any event that addresses the concerns of men and boys, and indeed all human beings.
