Why do you identify as a mens' rights activist, versus an egalitarian?

Greasier · 2013-12-20T19:24:21+00:00

Nearly all MRAs are egalitarian and vice versa. But by referring to ourselves as men's rights activists, we both specify that we tend to focus on men's issues, and draw attention to the fact that men have issues to focus on.

2013-12-20T19:29:48+00:00

Most people are both. However MRAs realize that right now it's men's issues that need more attention than they are getting. Men are still stuck in the gender roles of the past and nobody from anywhere on the political spectrum cares about men. Men are frequently told to shut up, because women couldn't vote prior to 1920. Or some line of similar logic.

Right now there is a need to focus on men's issues. Once men get equal footing with women, then we can focus on what Warren Farrell calls a gender transition movement. Where the whole point is to gain full equality for everybody. But that doesn't mean we're in a situation where we can skip men's issues. As a society we're not there yet. Far too many people refuse to actually acknowledge that men have issues. Or they simply blame men for having issues (men dying in war is actually sexist against women!).

Society is taught to recognize racism. It's taught to recognize sexism against women. But it is not taught to see it against men. This is why you frequently see the "insert black in place of men" idea pop up here. Change "teach men not to rape" to "teach blacks not to rape" and people immediately see the racism in the latter statement, but don't blink an eye at the former.

Number357 · 2013-12-20T19:32:16+00:00

Quite a few of us, in fact possibly even the majority of us, identify as gender egalitarians as well. As for why MRA, can you think of a single women's issue that isn't being addressed by politicians, the mainstream media, and society in general? We're egalitarians because we seek to end sexist double standards, and we're MRAs because right now, nobody is doing anything about the sexist double standards that harm men.

nigglereddit · 2013-12-20T20:01:54+00:00

It's not rocket science: I believe in equality for all people. In order for that to happen, men need to be recognized as having rights they currently don't.

QED

rightsbot · 2013-12-20T19:12:16+00:00

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biscuitgravy · 2013-12-20T19:48:34+00:00

Men are men and women are women. Making policy to fit just one is usually detrimental to the other. Doesn't get more simple than that.

dejour · 2013-12-20T20:12:47+00:00

I believe that anti-male and anti-female sexism are of comparable magnitude. My desire is that both types of sexism should be combated with equal fervor.

Feminism does a pretty good job of combating anti-female sexism. Feminism is pretty well accepted by the mainstream. In order to bring about my desired balance, I need to support groups fighting anti-male sexism.

MattClark0994 · 2013-12-20T20:59:14+00:00

Because there is already dozens of valid mens issues that arent being addressed by any of these so called "egalitarians" such as the ACLU. In addition, womens issues are addressed to death and these gender neutral organizations still see it fit to only rally around womens causes.

2013-12-20T21:00:57+00:00

Why not both?

We call ourselves and other people call us MRAs but our values are egalitarian human rights.

Nothing that we advocate for is gender specific.

We want an end to genital mutilation of children - not just female genital mutilation.
We want an end to domestic violence - not just violence against women.
We want a return to the presumption of innocence and an end to all extra judicial persecution.
We want all of our children to maximize their educational potential - not medicate and chastise half of them for being themselves.
We want parental and bodily autonomy rights for everyone.
etc...

We want the equality feminists say they're fighting for but we oppose them because in practice they only seem to want to establish a permanent victim class and oppressor class. Where the victims get entitlements and the oppressors get marginalized.

2013-12-20T21:07:57+00:00

if you DO identify as an egalitarian, why do you choose to be active in the mens' rights movement as well?

Oh, I don't know... maybe because men are 50% of the population?

C0CKPUNCHER · 2013-12-20T21:19:23+00:00

Men commit suicide at a higher rate so their need is greater (also homeless, drug addiction, crime victims etc etc). Much like if I wanted less difference in wealth I would support the poor not all economic brackets.

My first wish is just for honesty in reporting.

Meistermalkav · 2013-12-20T19:38:19+00:00

Well, to be absolutely precise:

I want a movement that dares to stand up, and point the finger in fringe and non fringe feminist faces and goes, you fecking racist / sexist pieces of shit when they deserve it.

I want a movement that is not afraid to duke it out with the feminists, and to butt heads.

I want a movement that is actually capable to provide a counterpoint to the feminist lobby, an opposition, if you will.

Egalitarianism is something that I hope one day my son will be able to follow.

In order for my future child/ren to one day freely choose to be whatever the heck they want to be, we do not need a monoculture largely going "we cannot be wrong, because we are right", we need an actual opposition that is strong enough to put a stop to some of the more ludicrous shit, whatever the cause.

If I honestly felt that feminism was threatened, that it was in danger of being unheard, then I would be there in two seconds flat, marching for them. But feck, they do very well on their own, and I have seen how they treat my kind over there.

I stand by mens rights, as opposed to egalitarianism, because currently, mens rights is where womens rights was before suffragette. Nobody takes them seriously, they are a fringe group, and despite for fighting for something noble and right, they get shouted down from the dominant power of feminism.

Do I hate feminism for that? Am I against egalitarianism? Nope.

I just want feminism to have the opposition it deserves, not the opposition it wishes for.

Title	Why do you identify as a mens' rights activist, versus an egalitarian?
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	8
Comments	13
Date	December 20, 2013 7:10 PM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1tcd7n/why_do_you_identify_as_a_mens_rights_activist/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/why-do-you-identify-as-a-mens-rights-activist.1155578 https://theredarchive.com/post/1155578

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