The vast majority of "men's rights" groups are not actually about trying to reverse sexual discrimination against men. They don't even make the effort. They're about undermining feminism and fighting against equality. It's basically the same kind of mindset that pushes some on the right to insist that white people are the real victims. Any erosion of power, however unjust that power position is, makes some people feel like victims of discrimination.
'A Voice for Men' was the most prominent, loud and genuinely awful groups a few years ago. Probably still are. And if you bothered to pay attention to the things they were actually trying to get attention for, it either had nothing to do with addressing actual sexual discrimination or was used as a battering tool against women and feminism. AVfM, in particular, has advanced lies that about half of rape accusations against men are false, that domestic violence shelters for women are just teaching anti-male politics, that domestic violence against men studies were hiding real rates of violence, have doxxed feminists and female protestors, stated that women would be useless if not for sex, etc.
The most common argument in these kinds of groups (again, a majority) is that sexual discrimination against men is a bigger and wider problem than discrimination against women. On its face, it's a rejection of the very basic feminist notion that women are not yet treated equally. And even when they attempt something positive, it's anti-female. Rather than try to seek better care for veterans, AVfM sought better care for male veterans. Like, most veterans are men, why make the distinction except to specifically discriminate against female veterans?
As frustrating and horrifying as these kinds of groups are, the truth is that a bigger part of me just feels sad. Because there are issues that affect men more than women. There are problems that aren't being properly addressed. Men who experience sexual assault at the hands of women, though rarer than the other way around, usually have no recourse in the courts. Because the idea that a woman can rape a man is "silly." Men commit suicide at higher rates and, partly thanks to the sexual roles that push them into both self-reliance and an aversion to asking for emotional support, are less likely to seek help when suicidal ideation takes hold. The outreach aimed at reducing suicide currently works better for women than men. That's a problem. But most men's groups aren't trying to address and fix problems, they're about airing grievances against feminism and women. It's so stupid and pointless.
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What you call "the majority" is simply the worst examples that have been AMPLIFIED by media in order to paint the entire movement with a BROAD-BRUSH and create a convenient BOOGIE-MAN to rally against. It's a game. We're all humans and should defend the individual sovereignty of all humans, BOTH female and male, foreigner and citizen, no matter how poor and no matter how rich they may be. They want us to think of each other as "evil", but that's just a game that keeps us fighting amongst ourselves.
I want to live in a world where all humans are treated like humans.
Homeless people are not trash.
Criminals are not trash.
Foreigners (Russians/Chinese/Iranians/North-Koreans) are not evil trash.
