I’m looking forward to attending a forthcoming event, organized by Swayne O’Pie and others. Details are on this flyer. The opening paragraph:

The aims of the Forum are (i) to identify activities that would eradicate male inequalities, (ii) to build a national network of male activists based upon social interaction between, and personal knowledge of, individual members, and, (iii) to help the Men’s Movement project a more professional public and political front.

I hope you’ll be able to join many of the country’s most active and dedicated MRAs at what I believe will prove to be an important event.

Our thanks to David for this. An excerpt:

Julie Fellows, 30, and her sister Jennifer, 32, targeted the youngster over a period spanning 14 years.

But a judge today went against guidelines and ruled that it wouldn’t be fair to jail the pair – who have never learnt to lip read – as they would not be able to communicate properly in prison, and effectively mean they were in isolation.

He also cited the fact that sign language isn’t available in prison – and that one of the defendants was pregnant – as reasons not to jail the sick pair.

Both had previously been told to expect “very significant sentences” for their vile abuse.

Our thanks to Francis for this.

Our thanks to a number of people for this. An excerpt:

Women who return to work part-time after having a baby continue to earn less than men for many years afterwards, says a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies…

Robert Joyce, one of the IFS report’s authors, said women did not see an immediate cut in their hourly wages when they reduce their hours.

“Rather, women who work half-time lose out on subsequent wage progression, meaning that the hourly wages of men (and of women in full-time work) [our emphasis] pull further and further ahead…

The TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It is scandalous that millions of women still suffer a motherhood pay penalty.”

“Many are forced to leave better-paid jobs due to the pressure of caring responsibilities and the lack of flexible working.”

In breaking news, sports scientists at Whackadoodle University have discovered a link between the time and effort atheletes devote to training, and their success in competitions. Professor Melissa Foster said:

It is scandalous that thousands of athletes suffer a dedication penalty, and that athletes who train hard win competitions, while their less dedicated colleagues don’t. We are calling for an end to the patriarchal link between sporting prowess and success in competitions, and have just secured a major government grant to work out how to give all athletes the same chance of winning competitions.

One early suggestion is that gender-specific competitions are ended, in return for women being given as many awards as men. Another is that points be awarded for gender, obesity, and lack of fitness, and we’d like to see an end to the expectation that athletes won’t eat cakes, drink alcohol, or smoke during sporting events.

There has been some puzzlement about why 38 Degrees pulled the first petition supporting Philip Davies MP. The mystery has been cleared up, a number of people who protested about their decision had the same response from them:

Dear <gentleman’s name redacted>,

Thanks for your email.

38 Degrees does not wish to host this petition as the speech that Philip Davies MP gave was anti-feminist. The feminist movement is one which promotes equality. [an amusing claim, albeit an outright lie, our emphasis]

We do not want petitions on our site that promote views that are anti-equality.

Best wishes,

<Lady’s name redacted> & the 38 Degrees team

Enjoy (video, 8:38).

Our thanks to Kevin for this, from The Guardian. Around 90% of the street homeless are men. Needless to say, the government needs to focus on the 10%. An extract:

The government needs to do much more to address the problems homeless women face, and to prevent women becoming homeless in the first place.

The video (6:38) on our YouTube channel of Jess Phillips’s woeful maiden speech (28 May, 2015, three weeks after the general election) has attracted 12,000+ views and a satisfying number of downvotes from the harridans. In the course of her speech, Ms Phillips mocked her husband for his line of work (lift engineer) and his lack of qualifications compared with hers, and whined that she earned less than him, while she was employed at a charity.

She also spoke of her ‘misfortune’ at having two children, ‘Both of whom are sons, incidentally!’ They must be so proud of her.

It has only just come to our attention that her already unfortunate husband (Tom) had a devastating change of career shortly after Ms Phillips was elected an MP, by becoming her office manager – here. You have to feel sorry for the poor man. What must he have done in a former life, to deserve this? To be fair, the same could be asked of Jack Dromey MP, the relentlessly (and understandably) haunted-looking husband of Harriet Harman.

Maybe we should start a fundraiser to send Tom and Jack on holiday together, without their wives. Think of the fun they’d have!

This was published yesterday.

A strong piece by Herbert Purdy on the vexed issue of show trials of men for suspected sexual offences. I confess I disagree with him in at least one area, however. I would have anonymity for both accused and accuser in such cases, not public revelation of both their identities.