National Men’s Rights Working Forum (Exploring Practical Solutions to Male Issues) – Bath, 28-30 October

If a may be permitted a comment as someone not identifying as a MRA. I do think there is a lesson from feminists. In fact of course there are few feminists as such when asked in surveys. Yet their key campaigns have huge traction. Of course they tap into self interest and a gynocentric seam. But they rarely do so with loads of their theory, its usually tapping into “its not fair”. Mindful of Josh O’Brien’s talk on young people and indeed the idea of a Political Party focussed on issues that the institutions of state can and does impact. I think there is a need to simply highlight what is not fair. Keep pushing on those things that we know there is at least some disquiet about. It seems to me that to be drawn into disproving feminism as a theory both dilutes the message (because most people aren’t into the theory of feminism anyway) and seems to dissipate energy on the core of people who would never change their mind. Clearly there are set of things that there is both public data and at least some concern about. Suicide, Mental Health, Education, Family Courts for instance. Where both the “Gaps” are acknowledged but there is manifestly no action. The campaign on Circumcision is a good example (and I was sceptical at first) in that generally the public are ignorant yet there is an obvious case for concern and a clear institutional inaction. As with suicide once the facts are acknowledged sufficiently widely the obvious next question is and what is being done for men? Similarly the highlighting of the leniency of courts on females works away at a feeling things aren’t fair in general in that system, in a way that trying to have a rational discussion about rape or sexual assaults is impossible because of their totemic status; “damsel in distress” . Hugely annoying as it is I think feminist should be allowed to continue to alienate people themselves.