Movember

[carooCarou]

Movember is about to begin. In case anyone doesn't know, they campaign to raise awareness and support for men's health issues. Mental health issues, male suicide, male-specific cancers etc. The most popular fundraiser is men growing a moustache for the month of November to raise money through sponsorship.

As I suspected would be the case, their campaign uses clear simple language. It's targeted to men, to support men and raise awareness of men's health issues.

Compare 'men' to bleeders, people who get pregnant, birthing parent, menstruators, chestfeeders, body feeders, human milk feeding language we have seen from organisations and charities related to women's health and maternity issues.

I think it's fantastic that they have used the word men, but the contrast is stark. I do not want to say anything negative to, or about, Movember, because I genuinely think they are a great cause and I'm pleased they're not sucked down the rabbit hole. Even though I knew they wouldn't be, because men.

I think there is an opportunity here. I feel we need to draw attention to this. I want every company and organisation that has seen fit to reduce women down to our bodily functions to take notice and see the double standards and see it's a lot more positive and impactful to speak to their target audience without reducing them to a bodily function. All I can think of is perhaps tweeting a link to Movember the next time I see a company calling us "menstruators" etc, but I don't know if that's enough. I wondered if anyone here had any thoughts or ideas about it, or if I'm getting excited (for want of a better word) over nothing.

uk.movember.com/
mobile.twitter.com/MovemberUK

It would be lovely wouldn't it.

I mean male suicide is a massive issue and it would be horrific for men to be written out of their own suffering.

I dont know what would be the best way to get other organisations to stop doing the same to women. Everyone I've ever written to either doesn't respond or sends sone stock reply about inclusivity.

Yes, I don’t want to criticise Movemeber or downplay the work they do but The Gym Group put this on insta today, I’m not sure a charity for women’s health would have the luxury. Which does seem to suggest there’s a definite reason some charities/companies are being advised to alter their language and some are not.

Trouble is its not the tine ir place really is it.

I mean how does make us any better than the activists who tweet FGM survivors about their exclusionary language if we do the same when men are dying.

Its not even as if they dont see the problem. They do. Talking about 1 in 10 people who have endometriosis is very clearly nonsense and leaves you wondering if its 1 in 5 or one in 20 women.

It all comes down to money. They know wonen need tampons akd pads etc so they can treat us how they want.

I think Movember is fantastic as well but the contrast just screams out doesn’t it - no ‘men & transwomen’ no ‘people who identify as men’, no ‘prostate havers’, no ‘ejaculators’,

just men

Trouble is its not the tine ir place really is it.

The real trouble is that it's never the right time. Not when it's women's issues, not when it's men's issues, not when it's covid, not when there's climate change.

No I know. But it does feel morally wrong to use a suicide movement to further our points. Given how women like Hibo wardere have been targeted by activists.

There has to be a way that doesn't lower us to their standards but gets the point across.

Trouble is its not the tine ir place really is it.

The OP isn't talking about targeting Movember in a whataboutery way, but other companies that have marginalised women, so I don't see a problem with it.

Looks like someone's already started anyway...

Yes, not the time or the place and I don't want to detract from their campaign at all but I want to draw the others attention to it somehow. It's just wrong how they treat us and the excuses fall flat when you can see it doesn't happen to men the same way.

Loads of my male friends do this. I was actually a little pissed off last year as a woman I know started going out with a beard and tash drawn on, trying to convince other women to do this. While more money raised is good, it kind of annoyed me as..well this is clearly for men and women shouldn;t be trying to be centre of attention in it? IDK, it might just be I am hyper sensitive to people pushing their way into things that are nothing to do with them or something.

The difference in language is indeed stark. Lack of people attacking companies for saying men instead of prostate havers too. While its a good thing men still have a eord to describe them (as they should) I have to wonder why women are not allowed the same thing. Well, I say wonder, but I know really.

Good luck to anyone taking part in this. Its a massively important subject, that probably isn't talked about enough. I expect my husband will be turning into a yeti again, but last year he raised just under a thousand, so was quite happy to have stubble rash for a month for him to do something important to him (and other men)

Whatwouldscullydo if you're talking about the tweet about testicles under one of movembers tweets, that was posted two days ago. And that's not the kind of thing I mean or want to do. I don't want to post under their tweets, more to highlight them to companies who erase women.

I would 100% disagree with targeting charities using normal language to describe the class of people the event is for. Possibly sending these stark descriptions of anything to do with men..to the womens charities who are intent on us not being able to refer to ourselves might help? Though probably not. I am sure I remember many messages being sent about the cervical cancer thing, pointing out that men/male is used many times when prostate cancer is talked about, and that changed nothing. The males who would shout continually at such charities and attempt to get them defunded if they don't get their way, are more important than the women the charities are meant to help, sadly.

I do remember one politician speaking out in the paper about the use of the word woman being appropriate when talking about cervical cancer cabt remember who. It was reported on here somewhere I think.

I think I've seen multiple organisations called out on twitter for their refusal to use the word women.

Planned parent hood, cervical cancer, body shop, actionaid, tampax, everyone...complete with photos of their counterparts using the word men.

Ignored every time

Sands recent tweet was the one that got me. They know why mother is so important to mothers who have lost their child but they erased us anyway. Like I said I really don't want to harass Movember in any way. I think it's a fantastic campaign and I'm genuinely pleased they haven't erased men from it. I just want women's orgs and charities to take notice because they're letting us down, and they don't have to.

Prostate Cancer UK tweeted the other day about a study looking into why black men were disproportionally affected. No ambiguous language, no people with prostates, just a tweet targetted at those who need the information.

I have brought the subject up in gender discussion groups asking why the TRAs were not trying to have the language changed and no response from the trans people on the group.

I don't want men to lose their language or support around their health issues but I want us women to have ours back.

Yeah I know you didn't mean that caroo. A friend of mine was in total bits about that sands thing, really really upset. It gave me rage I have't felt in a while.

Its a choice now.

They know.

I've seen it pointed out sooo many times

I mean ill keep emailing and taking screen shots, but my sympathy with the "dilemma" has gone now.

They are outright choosing to ignore us.

you could take screenshots and tweet etc saying "this is how you do it" or similar?

you could take screenshots and tweet etc saying "this is how you do it" or similar?

Its actually a selling point now

mobile.twitter.com/pinknews/status/1283064208922341377

Apologies for the prick news link

I think taking screen shots of the clear and unambiguous way mens charities can talk about men and every time we come across some non-men mangling language post it. Highlight the word man/men and maybe just leave it like that...

@Whatwouldscullydo

I do remember one politician speaking out in the paper about the use of the word woman being appropriate when talking about cervical cancer cabt remember who. It was reported on here somewhere I think.

I think I've seen multiple organisations called out on twitter for their refusal to use the word women.

Planned parent hood, cervical cancer, body shop, actionaid, tampax, everyone...complete with photos of their counterparts using the word men.

Ignored every time

I have a vague memory that some writer did something similar. Think it all blew over quite reasonably.

Shitty letters and tweets about j.k became a selling point too

B.S
BGP
P.S
M

And the rest im.lookimg at you