[Wamvan] Thoughts on Men's Rights Activists (MRAs) in Vancouver/Canada?

[Tami Starlight]

Yup

Been an ongoing issue here and know a few who were challenging their shit on commercial drive & broadway stn.

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Tami Starlight:Unceded coast Salish territory/Vancouver
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On 2012-11-24, at 8:42 AM, Jarrah <jarrahhodge at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Joanna,
> 
> You or the journalist should really talk to the folks from Feminist Edmonton. They are directly challenging MRAs through a counter-poster campaign and online videos. Their videos are here: http://www.youtube.com/user/FeministEdmonton?feature=watch and they have a website here: http://feministedmonton.com
> 
> Men's Rights Edmonton has made videos like this in response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcI4VPiJVKM&feature=youtu.be
> 
> I would love to do a counter-poster campaign here if anyone's interested. The more I hear from some MRAs the more angry I get. They target my videos endlessly with anti-feminist comments and post their own video responses where they don't show their faces. They pull out the most ridiculous arguments for why feminism isn't needed and actually hurts men. They have an endless repository of quotes from people you and I have never heard of who say they're feminists and advocate violence against men. They try to bait you into long, fruitless arguments. 
> 
> In this video the guy actually criticizes Because I am a Girl because they don't help boys in developing countries (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f68U4p7Ml8&list=UUj5Ce3ACuCyGCjmrHydbr_Q&index=7&feature=plcp).
> 
> They made a video in response to what I thought was a very open post by one of my contributors saying she wished she could work with MRAs if they truly believe in equality. Their video has a picture of a woman in a gorilla mask with the title "Feminist Sans Makeup" and they read her entire post in a mocking voice and invite commenters to attack her arguments (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYMQkSCdELs). 
> 
> To some extent I get conflicted - I don't want to make videos or write long posts directly taking them on. I know it's inviting huge amounts of trolling and putting my face/name out there as a target. But I'd love to work on some sort of counter postering campaign involving more people. 
> 
> At any rate, I'm happy to talk more on this issue but for an example of people actively fighting back I would definitely follow up with some of the Feminist Edmonton activists. Also interested to hear what other experience WAM-ers have had in Vancouver.
> 
> Jarrah
> 
> 
> On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 6:45 AM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hey WAM peeps,
>> 
>> A Men's Rights group recently did some poster campaigns in Vancouver. http://masculism.ca/blog/vancouver-mra-hits-the-streets/ 
>> 
>> For those who haven't heard about MRA's before, these Urban Dictionary definitions are actually quite accurate: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mra 
>> 
>> Are there any feminist individuals or groups in Vancouver that are actively resisting against them? Would really like to know. I might write about this for my next Herizons' column, and a journalism student from Langara asked me if WAM! members had any comments for an article she's writing on MRA's. 
>> 
>> More info on the posters in Vancouver. Some had been torn down. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/10/mens-rights-posters-vancouver_n_1871526.html 
>> 
>> Here are the journalist's questions below but please comment on whatever you find pertinent. 
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Joanna 
>> 
>> 
>> 1. Have you encountered/had any experience with the men's rights movement?
>> 
>> 2. What is your perception of men's rights activists?
>> 
>> 3. Men's rights activists have many qualms with the feminist movement. One thing is, the men's rights movement does not believe that, historically, the scales of power have been tipped away from women, and that society is not a patriarchy. As a feminist, what would your response to that be?
>> 
>> 4. On issues such as reproductive rights, one of the men's rights activists I spoke with said that it was an issue of religious beliefs and not a "war on women." Do you agree/disagree? Why?
>> 
>> 5. Have women achieved equal status in society?
>> 
>> 6. Why do you believe feminism is still relevant?
>> 
>> 7. I asked a men's rights activist about the over-sexualization of women in the media, the madonna/whore dichotomy, and his thoughts were: it's not only society's exploitation of female sexuality, but women exploiting the sexual power they hold over men. I am curious to hear your thoughts on this.
>> 
>> 8. What would you say to anyone who views feminism as an attack on men's liberties?
>> 
>> 9. Can you point to a point in history, from past to present, when women have held more power than men?
>> 
>> 10. Do you think the feminist movement is threatened by the men's rights movement?
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> ---
>> Joanna Chiu 
>> www.joannachiu.com      
>> twitter.com/joannachiu      
>> Ph: 5115 8253
>> WAM! Vancouver 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> --------------------
> Jarrah Hodge
> @jarrahpenguin
> http://gender-focus.com
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