Canadian university's men’s issues group fails to get ratified

[Tennis]

By Brennan Doherty

The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) rejected the last appeal by the Men’s Issues Awareness Society (MIAS) to become an officially sanctioned student group.

RSU president Andrea Bartlett said that the group cannot appeal any further.

MIAS, which styles itself as “a space for Ryerson students and affiliates to discuss the issues facing men and boys today,” first applied for campus group status in October. The RSU’s Board of Directors has consistently rejected the group — the latest attempt to establish a men’s issues organization on campus.

“What we’re doing is really raising issues that have never been [talked] about or usually disregarded,” said Kevin Arriola, MIAS’s president.

Arriola said the verdict didn’t surprise him.

“I knew I was coming into a kangaroo court, so I’m not really surprised with the decision. Now we have to think about the next step,” he said.

Despite lobbying efforts by the Canadian Association For Equality (CAFE) — a Toronto-based men’s rights group — to influence Monday’s decision, Bartlett said the vote would ultimately be out of her hands.

“While I have received numerous calls and emails from the membership of CAFE urging me to reconsider the decision, the decision is one of the committee,” Bartlett wrote via message before the meeting. She said she arranged a one-on-one meeting with Arriola before, but he’d refused unless several journalists were present to record their conversation.

Arriola was questioned by several directors at the meeting about his group’s commitment to equity — which the RSU said isn’t consistent with their policies.

“We are definitely approaching [men’s issues] from an equity standpoint,” Arriola said. He added the group’s egalitarianism means equity “is kind of implied.”

Several directors said that MIAS’ recognition as a student group would make female staff and students at Ryerson feel unsafe.

“When there are women who are attending these spaces because they want to see what’s being talked about, how will you ensure that there are no voices that are targeting or oppressing anyone else?” said Carolyn Myers, equity correspondent for the Board of Governors.

Arriola has consistently denied that there are any safety issues associated with MIAS.

Alyson Rogers, co-organizer of the Ryerson Feminist Collective, was relieved to hear the group’s appeal was denied.

“I thank the RSU Board of Directors (BoD) for making a really good decision for women on campus, feminists on campus, sexual assault survivors on campus and really just student safety in general,” she said.

MIAS’ first application to the BoD in October was rejected, according to the RSU transcripts, because the group’s constitution was ambiguous and duplicated functioning of existing equity centres. Arriola was repeatedly questioned by directors on this.

http://theeyeopener.com/2016/01/mens...-get-ratified/

I keep reading online about how important "men's issues" are but you have to wonder if this really is the case.

[Revi]

Several directors said that MIAS’ recognition as a student group would make female staff and students at Ryerson feel unsafe.

“When there are women who are attending these spaces because they want to see what’s being talked about, how will you ensure that there are no voices that are targeting or oppressing anyone else?” said Carolyn Myers, equity correspondent for the Board of Governors.

Why have people started treating women like frail little babies again? Surely they can't be allowed to work or vote if they are this weak and incapable of coping with life.

Sexism is making a great comeback. Now in the form of extreme infantilizing.

[Simulacrum]

Why have people started treating women like frail little babies again? Surely they can't be allowed to work or vote if they are this weak and incapable of coping with life.

Sexism is making a great comeback. Now in the form of extreme infantilizing.

Ironically, the article makes it sound like women's issues should be a lot higher on the priority list than they currently are for this very reason.

It would even be a worthy cause for feminists to fight against... though somehow I suspect their relationship with this climate of hysterical fear is one of mutual reinforcement rather than pushback against it.

[Tennis]

Why have people started treating women like frail little babies again? Surely they can't be allowed to work or vote if they are this weak and incapable of coping with life.

Sexism is making a great comeback. Now in the form of extreme infantilizing.

Valuing and protecting women is not sexism. That's really inconsiderate.

[Gamdwelf]

Valuing and protecting women is not sexism. That's really inconsiderate.

Treating them like children is sexism.

[Tennis]

Treating them like children is sexism.

Nobody is doing that. The goal is to not treat them as objects.

[stormgust]

Valuing and protecting women is not sexism. That's really inconsiderate.

Isn't assuming that women need your protectiong, instead of being able to defend themselves actually sexism?

Nobody is doing that. The goal is to not treat them as objects.

You're doing just that by making a decision for them though.

[Strangebrew]

Nobody is doing that. The goal is to not treat them as objects.

I am sure they don't need a white male like you to handle that for them, or are you saying women is incapable of dealing with it themself?

[Gamdwelf]

Nobody is doing that. The goal is to not treat them as objects.

Who are you to tell them they can't be objects wow such sexism.

[Tennis]

Isn't assuming that women need your protectiong, instead of being able to defend themselves actually sexism?


You're doing just that by making a decision for them though.

Women have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago. It's pretty awful to not even stand up for them.

[Azadina]

I see Tennispro is back with the usual sexism threads.

Women have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago. It's pretty awful to not even stand up for them.

Who asked for your assistance in standing up for oneself?

[Tennis]

I see Tennispro is back with the usual sexism threads.



Who asked for your assistance in standing up for oneself?

I see you've fixed your sig finally. Thank goodness!

Women? Who else would ask..

[stormgust]

Women have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago. It's pretty awful to not even stand up for them.

You're lacking consistency in your thinking, are unable to actually respond to any points raised contrary to your view and merely spout the same mantras over and over again. So I'll do the same:

You're treating women as some frail object here, as you're assuming them to be weaker than yourself and whence in need of your protection.

[Simulacrum]

Women have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago. It's pretty awful to not even stand up for them.

Men have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago more than women.

This is why men grew stronger than women, and aren't so weak that they are bothered by objectification, while women need weak men like you to stand up for them.

[Azadina]

I see you've fixed your sig finally. Thank goodness!

Women? Who else would ask..

I did, since people mostly stopped spamming stuff, thank goodness.

Oh, what women? Ones you imagine, or real ones who wont ask you, like me?

[Tennis]

Men have been preyed on since hundreds of years ago more than women.

This is why men grew stronger than women, and aren't so weak that they are bothered by objectification, while women need weak men like you to stand up for them.

I'd like to see some proof for this audacious post you've just made.

[Simulacrum]

I'd like to see some proof for this audacious post you've just made.

My proof is this thread.

[stormgust]

I'd like to see some proof for this audacious post you've just made.

Right back to you, proof that women asked you to protect them, otherwise it's blatant sexism.

[breadisfunny]

Valuing and protecting women is not sexism. That's really inconsiderate.

i agree with tennisace. it's really cruel to women.

[mizeri]

do they think its going to be bunch of guys getting together and discuss how to rape women?