anti feminist on women & equalities committee

A lot of the whining from MRAs etc seems to be around women not giving them the attention they "deserve".

It's reminded me of last xmas where we were doing the tables for the work do and we did it and then someone pointed out that that left an all male table, and that wasn't any good. I said, well why not? I mean it's traditional but does it actually matter and she responded that the men "like to have someone to show off to, don't they" (no she's not a "feminist as far as I know". And when it came to it, we did swap around but due to arrival order, the women ended up on one side, and the men on the other. And I realised that the women were all sitting there chatting and laughing and having a good time and the men were all sitting there on the other side looking a bit lost. We did mix around later and it was all good - we all know each other and they are all nice. But I thought - is this our role at a formal occasion? To get all prettified and then give the man allocated to us someone to direct conversation at who will smile amiably etc?

It was all very interesting.

Actually it was me who moved first because I felt a bit sorry for the poor sods :D and they are all perfectly nice so it was hardly a hardship

Mind you, most men I know would probably say the same!

But. Wrong place for this debate- sorry everyone.

"Oh please - you yourself said that you would rather sit next to a woman because you think you would find her more interesting than a man"

No. I said that all other things being equal, and in the absence of any other social cues if I had to choose a seat beside a man or a seat beside a woman I would probably choose the woman because experience has shown I'd probably have more in common. And I would be totally fine if a man said the same.

Sorry, flaxen but are you really arguing this on a thread about a male MP who spent 78 minutes in Parliament yesterday trying to deliberately block a Bill that will protect all victims of Domestic Violence? Because he objected to it having the Women in the title.

Yes, it seems you are.

Oh please - you yourself said that you would rather sit next to a woman because you think you would find her more interesting than a man FFS. Another poster complained that men are generally inconsiderate and there's a thread going on right now where the idea of not wanting to use the same bathroom as men is justified in light of them being stinky and uncaring about hygiene (amongst other points I appreciate).

To quote since you are big on evidence :

"They contribute so much of the evil to the world and I've only ever met a handful that care truly about females and their rights.

I am up for living in a women only village "

"To be honest, I think it is entirely logical" [hatred of men]

...etc.

"What I said was that the general impression given by a lot feminists is that they don't like men very much and that they prefer women."

You have hyper to provide any evidence at all to support this claim.

it never occurred to me the injustice men suffer because random women don't want to sit next to them.

I don't think i said it was an injustice did I ? What I said was that the general impression given by a lot feminists is that they don't like men very much and that they prefer women. They then complain that women are excluded from male activities, or that they can't understand why other women are not attracted to a place where fear of all of men is encouraged and every opportunity to point out how unfair and biased against women the world is is taken.

Low level sexism is not tolerated when it's men doing it do women, nor is it dismissed as so trivial to be irrelevant, but when it's the other way round it's apparently all right. But sure - you're not sexist.

TheWoodlander thanks, signed. Equal Pay Act took women to demonstrate and MPs like Barbara Castle to get. So see you all on January 21st.

Girl my comments were said a little in jest but your right, it never occurred to me the injustice men suffer because random women don't want to sit next to them.

What did I miss ?

The Patriarchy?

(am only being a partial smart arse. I think that actually is at least part of the explanation).

But the ones on equal pay slip by with only a few comments.
I've heard this criticism before about femists here not discussing equal pay so I started a thread in chat and no one commented
I think it's because 1) the gender pay gap isn't controversial unless you are an MRA 2) stuff is happening to counter it 3)it's pretty well researched 4) there's nothing most of us can do about it. So not really many talking points.
Whereas things like victim blaming, trans rights, PIV sex are discussed more because people either can't see the point or are deliberately goady.

Oh he's a delight amispartacus.

If he wanted to do something, rather than trying to stop such bills because they don't discuss men, he should actively bring in some bills to have the discussions.

He seems to want to block stuff happening because 'it's about women".

Phillip Davies hasn't got much of a track record for fighting for groups who need extra consideration.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/philip-davies-filibuster-domestic-violence-a7479266.html

Today Mr Davies tried to filibuster a Bill to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing domestic violence

His previous record: Fillibustering
Free hospital car parking for carers
2) Making home fit for human habitation
3) First aid training for children in schools
4) Banning wild animal use in circuses

There is a petition if anyone is interested (obvs not you, flaxenhairgirl).

www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-remove-men-s-rights-activist-philip-davies-mp-from-women-and-equalities-committee

Oh. Just realised girlwiththeflaxenhair is a man - and attempting a little Philip Davies style filibuster of his own on this thread

Never mind. Back to Philip Davies - what a fucking arsehole, eh? And what a travesty that a self-declared MRA has found their way onto the Women & Equalities Committee.

No - i actually think I have not, someone said that in general men are inconsiderate, if a man said "in general women like pink and frilly things" then would be condemned for it. But when a women says it, instead of admitting it's a crap thing to say - you instead say "well it's not as bad as what men do to women, so it doesn't matter".

What did I miss ?

She's spectacularly missed the point of the whole thread, really Seneca....

And feminism, come to that.

Wow, girlwiththeflaxenhair. You have spectacularly missed the point of scallops's post.

I believe scallops that you have just engaged in "whataboutery". If you think that women who are put off feminists on the basis that they make comments like "in general men are inconsiderate and no way would i choose to sit next to one" are idiots or it's OK to hold such views, because at least they aren't murderers like "some" men are... I mean what the fuck are you on about !? You can't be serious ?

Oh we've all got to be careful not to hate men . That's like The. Worst. Thing. Ever. (despite the fact that this "hatred" manifests itself in an avoidance of men rather than abusing, raping and killing them).

There have been threads on here talking about the validity of women's anger against the class of men, yes.

There have also been threads discussing women-only societies.

Not sure what is wrong with either of those discussions. Not sure what a "healthy attitude towards men" is either? Does that mean showing respect to men even though they are our oppressors and we have to fight for every right, every slip of male privilege, every acknowledgement of oppression?

"But it is not equality." I suppose it depends on what you think feminism is about. Personally, for me it isn't about equality, it's about the removal of oppression and male privilege. Redefining what equality looks like. And I'm going to use the wonderful Karen Ingala Smith as she sums it up why "equality" doesn't really cut it:

What does it look like this equality that you speak of

Davies certainly likes to strut his male privilege around. Is this what we want equality with?

But on the issue of sitting next to men you don't know, no way would I do this

Thanks for making my point for me ! In general men are inconsiderate morons. No doubt someone would be along to challenge your sexist views in a minute !

More about this Deb's Delight

Davis is a vile creature, if I remember correctly he has little respect for people with disabilities too.

But on the issue of sitting next to men you don't know, no way would I do this if I have a choice regardless of how sparkling their conversation might be. Experience has taught me that in general men will spread out there legs and elbows and take up half my seat. I always wonder why it never seems to occur to these men to stick to their own bloody space.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/16/philip-davies-anti-feminist-tory-mp-filibuster-women-violence-bill
Yuck. We know his type. If they don't understand feminism, we'll teach 'em. I'll be on the march on Jan 21st.; good for meeting like minded activists and organising local action.