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

Sun Nov 25 10:18:57 PST 2012

Definitely! I'd suggest Thursday night the 20th or Saturday the 22nd
daytime. If that works for folks I could start trying to find a place that
would work.

On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 9:41 AM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com> wrote:

> If only I could teleport back to Vancouver to cover this story. (I've been
> in Hong Kong on a one-year contract position at a newspaper for the past
> half year.)
>
> I'm coming back home for a few weeks starting Dec. 18, though. Can we all
> please meet up and do something fun? And brainstorm on how to take over the
> world?
>
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 1:17 PM, Frieda Werden <frieda.werden at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Suzette says the dealership that had the signs was at Hastings and Knight
>> (Clark).  It was there for a long time, we saw it just a few weeks ago,
>> too, but Suzette says she thinks they have taken the signs down.  I was
>> having fantasies of throwing eggs, but perhaps someone did that or raised a
>> constructive objection - or, maybe the old owner sold out?  Or just got fed
>> up with the MR movement people.  Or got busted for something.  It would be
>> interesting for a journalist to go there and talk to people about why they
>> had the signs and why they took them down.
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 8:44 PM, Joanna Chiu <chiu.joanna5 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Hey, thanks for all the information. Is this MRA business a recent thing
>>> in Vancouver that started growing this year?
>>>
>>> What's been happening at commercial drive & broadway stn, Tami?
>>>
>>> I'd like to discuss counter measures as well. If we do a counter poster
>>> campaign, my worry is they'll just tear down the posters in retaliation for
>>> whoever tore down theirs. And I don't think they're worth the printing
>>> costs.
>>>
>>> Maybe we can make some sort of web poster/infographic to share around
>>> social media? Or an online petition? What would we want to ask for? An end
>>> to harassment of feminists by MRAs? I don't know, any other ideas? The
>>> tricky thing is that you don't want to help them get more publicity.
>>>
>>> Joanna
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 12:28 PM, Frieda Werden <frieda.werden at gmail.com
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> There's a car dealership here in town with MRI posters all over it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 11:33 AM, Tami Starlight <
>>>> tamistarlight at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Yup
>>>>>
>>>>> Been an ongoing issue here and know a few who were challenging their
>>>>> shit on commercial drive & broadway stn.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my wireless device
>>>>> *All my relations*
>>>>> Tami Starlight:Unceded coast Salish territory/Vancouver
>>>>> tamistarlight at gmail.com
>>>>> http://facebook.com/Tamistarlight
>>>>> Tami_starlight (twitter)
>>>>> Cosmictami (skype)
>>>>>
>>>>> 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 <http://www.joannachiu.com%20/>
>>>>>> twitter.com/joannachiu
>>>>>> Ph: 5115 8253
>>>>>> WAM! Vancouver <http://www.wamvancouver.wordpress.com%20/>
>>>>>> <http://twitter.com/joannachiu>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>>>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>>>>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> --------------------
>>>>> Jarrah Hodge
>>>>> @jarrahpenguin
>>>>> http://gender-focus.com
>>>>> *Vote for Gender Focus in the Canadian Blog Awards: *
>>>>> http://polldaddy.com/poll/6654035/
>>>>> --------------------
>>>>>
>>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>>>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>>>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
>>>> <http://www.wings.org>
>>>> https://www.facebook.com/wingsradio
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> ---
>>>  Joanna Chiu
>>> www.joannachiu.com <http://www.joannachiu.com%20/>
>>> twitter.com/joannachiu
>>> Ph: 5115 8253
>>> WAM! Vancouver <http://www.wamvancouver.wordpress.com%20/>
>>> <http://twitter.com/joannachiu>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>> Wamvan mailing list
>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Frieda Werden, Series Producer
>> WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org
>> <http://www.wings.org>
>> https://www.facebook.com/wingsradio
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wamvan mailing list
>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> ---
>  Joanna Chiu
> www.joannachiu.com <http://www.joannachiu.com%20/>
> twitter.com/joannachiu
> Ph: 5115 8253
> WAM! Vancouver <http://www.wamvancouver.wordpress.com%20/>
> <http://twitter.com/joannachiu>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> Wamvan mailing list
> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
>
>

-- 
--------------------
Jarrah Hodge
@jarrahpenguin
http://gender-focus.com
*Vote for Gender Focus in the Canadian Blog Awards: *
http://polldaddy.com/poll/6654035/
--------------------
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