Our thanks to “Groan” for this piece published last Thursday on a government website:

Government unveils commitments to tackle abuse against men

Home Office sets out the scale of gender-based violence and abuse perpetrated against men and boys.

The Home Office has pledged to go further in helping men and boys who are victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Today, the government has published its first cross-government position statement on male victims of crimes, which sets out the scale of abuse against men and the specific vulnerabilities they face.

The Male Victims Position Statement sets out 12 specific commitments to better enable male victims and survivors to come forward and receive the support they need and bring perpetrators to justice. These include:

• providing £500,000 to specialist organisations that support male victims and survivors of domestic abuse [J4MB: An utterly derisory sum, given the scale on which men are abused by violent female partners in particular.]
• awarding a specialist LGBT domestic abuse organisation that supports LGBT victims and survivors with £500,000 [J4MB: We can be very sure most of this money will be spent on violent lesbians. Lesbians are the sex/sexuality demographic with the highest rates of domestic violence.]
• providing £24 million over the next three years for services providing advice and counselling to all victims of sexual violence, including men and boys [J4MB: Very little of this money will be spent on male victims.]

According to research by the Male Survivors Partnership some men can take over 31 years to disclose their ordeals. The statement notes that attitudes around masculinity can mean male victims take a long time to report these experiences. [J4MB emphasis]

Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerabilities, Victoria Atkins said:

“Men can, and do, suffer from crimes such as domestic and sexual abuse. It is a horrendous experience that often goes unrecognised and it is heartbreaking some men feel they cannot report their experiences because of societal views around masculinity.” [J4MB emphasis]

“As a government we are determined to bring these horrific crimes to light and support victims and survivors, regardless of gender.”

Duncan Craig, CEO of Survivors Manchester said:

“I’m so pleased to see the government’s position statement on boys and men affected by crimes classed as Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). As a professional working with male survivors of sexual violence and a survivor myself, this statement sends a clear message to boys and men that the government sees you and they are taking what happened to you seriously, that kind of recognition is priceless and will positively add to men’s healing.”

“On behalf of the Male Survivors Partnership, we welcome the government’s position statement on boys and men affected by VAWG crimes. This historic step forward gives male victims and survivors the overt recognition they deserve and enables us and service providers across the UK a national point of reference.”

These measures are on top of commitments made to all victims of gender-based violence as part of the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy refresh, which was published yesterday.

Groan writes:

A welcome if very limited response from the government.

The link in this to the VAWG Strategy “refresh” is in this report. This is a must read I believe because it shows the “reach” of this strategy across Government. One particularly dismal bit is the money and focus on “older people”. Of course it appears good that older women are being “protected” . But what it actually means that old men with Dementias or Parkinson’s are identified as abusers instead of distressed confused people, unlike older women whose violence induced by the same disease.

In the past 15 years I’ve seen this real problem as these diseases progress and make people act out of character, colonised by the DV industry. Its moved from an issue of responding to such tragedy with help for carer and carer for to one in which confused and uncomprehending men are treated as deliberate abusers. The VAWG strategy importing a gender analysis completely at odds with the reality.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Just back from another day’s campaigning at Speakers’ Corner. It’s always great to engage with the public, and spend a few hours with some inspiring MRAs. Feel free to join us any time – we try to attend every other Sunday – the next meet-up will be 10:30 on Sunday, 24 March.

One of the MRAs today asked me today what my favourite MRA comedy video was, and I explained it’s one published by an American in 2014, Hot Crazy Matrix: Man’s Guide To Women (7:06). I’ve linked to it a few times in blog posts, but was surprised to learn just now that it wasn’t in our YouTube playlist of comedy video and audio pieces. It is now.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Our thanks to Joe for this. Extracts:

A ‘wicked’ woman who tried to poison [J4MB: kill] her diabetic partner as he lay in bed by pumping insulin into his body with a remote device has been spared jail…

Prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard said the victim, a type one diabetic, called 999 at 2.20am on Sunday, August 13, 2017 and told police the defendant had deliberately tried to give him an overdose of insulin.

Miss Orchard said: ‘He said they had an argument and he had gone to bed. She was on her fourth bottle of wine when he went upstairs. [J4MB emphasis]…

Hopkin denied the allegations and said her partner must have done it himself.

But the defendant, of Westwood Road, Meir, went on to plead guilty to administering a poison or noxious substance with intent on the day of her trial last month.

Her plea was on a basis the relationship was strained and they had been arguing about money and family issues…

Judge Paul Glenn sentenced Hopkin to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He told Hopkin: ‘What you did was wicked. You were well aware of his condition as you had been together for a long time. It is fortunate he was awake and realised what had happened and was able to disconnect the device and call for assistance.

‘You took no steps at all to undo what you had done.

‘When you were interviewed by the police you lied again and again and again. You continued to lie until the day of your trial.

‘Taking 24.5 units could have had a catastrophic effect on his health. It could have led to hypoglycemia, a coma and seizures. [J4MB: And death.]

‘Importantly, he does not want you to go to jail. Courts are not bound to follow the wishes of victims but it is right to take account of his view. [J4MB emphasis: … when it helps avoid punishing a woman for trying to kill a man.]

‘You cannot blame or justify your actions on the quite obscene amount of alcohol you drank that night. [J4MB: Being drunk is a mitigating circumstance for women, an aggravating circumstance for men.]

‘I accept this was out of character when in an emotional state.’

As part of the suspended sentence, Hopkin must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 30 days and 120 hours unpaid work.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

When trying to explain why, at some point in the future, many men (possibly most men?) will prefer (mechanical) sex robots to (biological) women to satisfy their sexual needs, it would be difficult to beat this. After all, the (mechanical) car almost totally replaced the (biological) horse to satisfy a different need, personal transportation.

Let’s face it, for just $6,974.99 – about £5,360 – Tanya is a doll. Possibly not ideal for how you’ll be remembered by your kids if you die of a heart attack in the night, and they find Tanya in a wardrobe the next day, but otherwise, seriously, what’s the downside?

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Elizabeth Hobson, our Director of Communications, is proving to be a bigger asset to J4MB (and, in turn, the wider MRM) than even we had anticipated. She’ll be giving a talk, as I shall, at the Chicago conference in August. I recommend you order your tickets now, I happen to know they’re selling like hot cakes.

In the space of just six days leading up to and including International Women’s Day, Elizabeth was a central figure in four activities:

Sunday, 3 March: Demonstrating with other non-feminists outside #MarchForWomen, Westminster Hall, London (video, 51:14)

Monday, 4 March: Asking women passing by the Millicent Fawcett statue in Parliament Square, London, if they agreed men and women should have equal rights (video, 16:54)

Tuesday, 5 March: Debating with a feminist in Oxford Town Hall (video, 1:33:24)

Friday, 8 March, International Wimmin’s Day: Debating with a member of the Wimmin’s Equality Party on BBC Radio Kent (audio, 8:02) – Elizabeth did very well, considering she was given outrageously little time to contribute to the discussion

In common with everyone who works for J4MB, including myself, Elizabeth is on a salary of £0.00 p.a. In recognition of her valuable contributions to J4MB and the wider MRM, and with the agreement of The Patriarchy Council, we are with immediate effect doubling her salary. If she carries on performing as well as she has been since her appointment, we’ll be doubling her salary every year, going forward.

I invite followers of this blog to post comments in appreciation of this fine young woman.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Video (13:26).

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Max Antony is too kind! He writes:

This International Women’s Day, I want to take this brief moment to appreciate Elizabeth Hobson. Elizabeth is fast becoming a highly skilled assembler of Truth Bombs. Truth Bombs that are designed to pulverise the spurious claims, buzzwords and narratives of hateful liars into burnt mulch. Anyone who has heard her talk at 2018’s International Conference on Men’s Issues (ICMI) has witnessed, firsthand, a demonstration of her current skill level. Those attending the ICMI later this year, when it returns to North America, are in for a treat as she goes from strength to strength.

Any force for change, any movement, any organisation, that doesn’t invest in her to the fullest – using any means necessary to further help her grow in confidence to become truly fearless, providing her with every possible opportunity to use her talents to shine – is fundamentally undeserving of her.

Thank you, Max!

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Enjoy (video, 34:50).

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Bryan is an American musician and former prisoner whose experiences with mental illness and incarceration have opened his eyes to the unique challenges faced by men. He is currently working on a full length album for his music project, elitefitrea.

Thank you, Bryan!

Original Post (Instagram).

elitefitrea playlist on Spotify.

Conversation with Bryan Day on criminal justice, with me, 6oodfella and Attichris.

Bryan’s Twitter account.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.

Video (2:27) submitted celebrating the work and kindness of Alison Tieman.

You can find Alison’s work on Honey Badger Radio’s YouTube channel and she tweets here.

If everyone who read this gave us £5.00 – or even better, £5.00 or more, monthly – we could change the world. £5.00 monthly would entitle you to Bronze party membership, details here. Benefits include a dedicated and signed book by Mike Buchanan. Click below to make a difference. Thanks.