How can you support a movement that is seen by many as a complete joke and where you have scammers like Paul Elam running shady organizations like A Voice for Men? How the fuck is that advancing anything for the genders?
Because I don't care about public perception, and because I'm looking at the long game. When you look at our history, any movement of social change is ridiculed by the mainstream at first. And actually, that's a good sign. Because the alternative is to not be acknowledged at all. People are making fun of MRAs and quote-mining them and slandering them and accusing them of all sorts of crap, but at the same time, I also see feminists being forced to acknowledge some of the points MRAs bring up. I have seen more feminists say they care about male rape victims in the last two years than in the previous two
decades.
I've always known that one group having a monopoly on an idea is going to lead to stagnation and bloat. Competition is as good for ideas as it is for business. But something I realized very recently is, it does not matter who brings about positive change, so long as that change happens. If MRAs agitate for men's issues to be paid attention to, and feminists say, "We already care about that! Now shut up!", it doesn't matter that they've never done anything on that issue before. What matters is that the issue is
finally being discussed. Awareness is being raised by both sides. And if the end result is more victims getting the treatment they deserve, I don't give a shit which gender movement accomplishes it. Or maybe change can only be accomplished when a small, angry movement annoys a big, complacent movement into action. Neither side is as important as the victims of injustice who they are advocating for.
You seem a lot more level-headed than the person I was thinking about when I posted in this thread a couple pages back. Either I'm thinking of someone completely different (and worse), or you've seriously chilled out. If it's the latter, good on you man.
Maybe both. I was a lot more easily-angered a few years ago. Moving from Furaffinity to Inkbunny helped, as there's a lot less drama there. Also, just a general realization that my life is stressful enough without me seeking more of it.
Were you ever in attendance at Anthrocon in the late nineties or early 00's?
Early 00s, yes. I forget the year, but I went twice. Now I usually go to cons my friends are closer to.
I've talked to you face-to-face hundreds of times. 