A men’s rights activist group says it’s simply “opposing the marginalization and vilification of men and boys” by plastering misogynistic posters and leading coffee shop discussions in a liberal east Vancouver neighborhood that, for the most part, is resistant to the cause. But the group isn’t so much pro-men as it is virulently anti-women. Do the members deserve the right to free speech?
September has been a busy month for the Vancouver branch of the Men’s Rights Movement (MRM), which launched this year, according to its website. The group first gained local notoriety when it started plastering Commercial Drive with snarky, nonsensical posters featuring slogans such as “Stop Violence Against Women, but not against men, because men do not matter, and despite being more often the victims of violence, male victims are no good for fund raising, so screw them.” (Good use of sarcasm AND grammar, guys!)
Other posters allegedly proclaimed that “90 percent of divorces are initiated by women,” “90 percent of homeless are men,” and, according to Open File, “that feminism is a violent movement that discriminates against men, turning them into second-class citizens.”
Controversy ensued after residents tore down or defaced many of the posters; local bloggers found at least a few people who, seemingly unfamiliar with the ethos of the MRM, disagreed with the community’s hands-on response. “You don’t hear a lot about [men’s rights] and that’s the surprising part,” one man told News 1130. “It is very surprising that they’re being ripped down. Definitely, they should go back up. You see signs up for everything around here and to select which ones we put up and which ones we don’t, it’s a little bit ridiculous.”
Soon, Ruth Mason-Paull, who describes herself as a “Slam Master” at Vancouver Poetry House on her Facebook page, created a Facebook event called “Has Feminism Gone Too Far?” The community was incensed by the ignorant title and became further incredulous when Mason-Paull posted the names of the only two confirmed speakers: Chris Marshall, described on the event page as a “long time father’s rights activist and blogger aiming to shine light on the justice system with regards to father’s parental rights,” and “John the Other,” a blogger for Vancouver Men’s Rights Activism, the group behind the posters.
It only takes a brief glimpse at Marshall’s website to realize you’re dealing with a troubled, unhinged person, regardless of what transpired between him and his ex-wife. Check out some excerpts from what looks like a court-ordered psychological assessment, which he posted in full for some reason: “Ms. Wallat [his ex-wife] had continued to work but Mr. Marshall wanted a more traditional relationship and indicated he did not want her to be in the workforce.” and “Ms. Wallat became sleep-deprived and Mr. Marshall continued a lifestyle more in keeping with a single man. He was out with his friends frequently and she was concerned with his drinking.” Marshall clearly has an axe to grind.
And here are John the Other’s lovely views on rape:
“Maybe it’s a mistaken accusation, she doesn’t remember who she had sex with because she was drunk at the party or whatever. Some make accusations that have nothing to do with being raped; they’re angry, or they got stood up, they wanted to have sex with a guy but he said no. The fact that our society doesn’t have a balance for this is a major problem. I’m not suggesting every woman you meet is a loose cannon, but every woman you meet has the potential to be one, because for those few who are nutty, there’s no disincentive for them to go, oh, I was late for work. I know, I’ll just say I got raped.”
Ah, the old “I was late to work because I was raped on my way to the bus stop!” excuse. We’ve all been there, right?
Funnily enough, no feminists — or women, for that matter — were scheduled to speak.
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