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

Tue Nov 27 03:34:45 PST 2012

Thanks for sharing your interview and info on the National Day of
Remembrance and Action on Violence Against
Women, Jana! Please feel free to cross-post on our facebook page, too.
www.facebook.com/wamvancouver

Joanna

On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 1:16 PM, jana g <janagee at gmail.com> wrote:

> jana juniper here ... with an additional bit of info regarding 'mens
> rights' ... recently i did an interview with Karen McAndless in
> Vancouver about VAW - violence against women ... she spoke about what
> is happening in BC around 'father's rights' and how it is affecting
> women and children / families at home and in BC's courtrooms.
>
> Here is a link to the McAndless interview:
> http://previous.ncra.ca/exchange/dspProgramDetail.cfm?programID=130006
>
> and their website is 'whenlovehurts.ca' for a bunch of information on
> what abuse looks like ...
>
> and, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against
> Women is being recognized in
> Vancouver this Saturday, December 1st from 10 am to 6 pm at the
> Vancouver Public Library on W.
> Georgia ... there will be lectures, film festival, art exhibition and
> roundtable discussions ... a lot
> going on - 604-872-8212 for more info on upcoming day of remembrance ...
>
> I thought this info was relevant to the current WAM thread and figured
> it would be welcomed in the mix.
>
> in solidarity
>
> On 11/25/12, Jarrah <jarrahhodge at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 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
> >>>>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
> >>>>> 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>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Wamvan mailing list
> >>>> Wamvan at lists.resist.ca
> >>>> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wamvan
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> 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>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 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
>

-- 
---
 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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