Studies show literal gender equality is perceived by most people to be sexist against women. When women aren't given preferential treatment over men, people see it as unfair and misogynistic - This the root of the Impossible Trinity in Men's forums.

Similar to the concept of the Impossible Trinity in economics where it is impossible for a country to have:

1) a fixed foreign exchange rate;

2) free capital movement, absent of capital controls;

3) an independent monetary policy.

Any country can only choose 2 out of the 3, but not have all 3.

.

For men's forums, it is impossible to have:

1) a solicitation of men's views with equal participation of women's views;

2) literal equality of treatment;

3) a shift in the overton window (the range of general politically acceptable speech to avoid upsetting women).

You can only choose 2 out of the 3. Either:

1) the men's forum has a solicitation of men's views and equal participation of women and literal equality of treatment for men and women, but accepts that the the overton window of acceptable speech shifts (to more women-centric or gynocentric speech); or

2) the men's forum has a solicitation of men's views and equal participation of women, with no shift in the overton window of speech, but accepts that there is unequal treatment between men and women; or

3) the men's forum has literal equality of treatment for men and women, no shift in the overton window of speech, but accepts unequal participation of women in the men's forum (most women feel unwelcome and thus do not participate).

It is sad, but generally true.

This impossible trinity dynamic also extends beyond men's forums to in real life men's groups - but let's not go there for now.