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Justice for Men & Boys 
Such an important piece. As Bettina ends with the cruelest aspect of all “lived experience” which excludes make suicides because they’re dead.
Bettina notes the leaving of Glen Poole from the Australian Men’s Health Forum. I corresponded with Glen years ago before he emigrated. At the time I was early in the scales falling from my eyes as I tried to support a small local service for male victims of DV/Abuse. Glen was a genuine guy and seemed convinced that the way forward was to be clear supporting men in various ways didn’t challenge the already huge momentum to advance women and girls. The process Bettina describes shows that well meaning strategy fails because the feminists simply have no empathy or sympathy for males full stop. Much as I wanted to believe in Glen’s strategy. Time has shown that relying on facts, basic human decency and sympathy for those in distress whatever their sex. Does not work.
i have no doubt the simple but telling data showing that 3 out 4 of those accessing suicide prevention programmes in Ozz, that Glen produced and publicised. Would be similar here in the UK. As is the focus on men’s supposed lack of sharing their feelings. So too the lack of attention to the factors that research consistently shows linked to all those “completed” Male suicides.
As she points out there are indeed more “attempted” female suicides, with many from women who repeatedly “attempt” suicide. Clearly “cries for help”. And the help does turn up. Though it may also reflect some female incompetence (for instance overdoses of medicines that are rarely fatal but do irreversible damage to organs) and make competence. The marked gender gap may show male competence in their choice of method but mainly illustrates that men know there is in fact no point in a “cry for help” because rarely is the practical help they need in prospect.
As she points out it speaks volumes that the Australian strategy doesn’t even have a focus on men nor any actual targets to reduce male suicides!
This is a must read piece because it shows how “toxic masculinity”, gender equality and “lived experience” , all buzz words in our culture effectively exclude males from any meaningful actions to reduce their suicide rate or even try to intervene.
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