The MHRM: A Voice for Choice

By Peter Wright: I was recently drawn into a conversation about the variety of contrary positions held by MHRAs – individual advocacy vs. group advocacy, traditionalist vs. progressive, women friendly vs. women shunning, gay vs. straight, faith-based vs. atheist, marriage vs. celibacy, victim narratives vs. no victim narratives, Republican vs. Democrat and so on. That variety is further demonstrated in the contrary opinions of AVfM articles where we read, for instance, the witty but unmistakably traditionalism-supporting articles of Janet Bloomfield, versus the narrow anti-traditionalist rants of John Hembling.
How is one meant to build a coherent mission statement out of this mess of contrary opinions?
AVfM’s mission statement gives a few basic guidelines, but stops short of pushing any Thou Shalt commandments. Lets take a look at the current mission statement:
It is the mission of A Voice for Men to:

• Promote the dissemination of information that will expose misandry and gender-centrism on all levels in our culture;

• Oppose any form of gender-centrism. We propose to foster the equal valuing of men and women socially, regardless of sexual orientation and identity, as well as their equal treatment under the law;

• Recognize the institution of marriage and the family unit as the foundation of civilized society. However, we support the trend away from that institution until the current legal zeitgeist making it unsafe for men and children is corrected. We support an end to “no fault” divorce and support default shared physical and legal custody in the event of divorce. We seek to promote awareness of information designed to protect men and fathers who are already married;

• Promote a rejection of sex based chivalry in any form or fashion.

• Promote the legal and nonviolent antagonism of all agents of misandry and gender-centrism, from members of academe, to holders of public office, to law enforcement and other state functionaries, to popular bloggers and to corporate agents who promote misandry and gender-centrism for profit;

• Support peaceful acts of civil disobedience when necessary;

• Educate men, women, girls and boys about the threats they face in feminist governance and to promote an end to that governance;

• Debunk sex based lies and distortions wherever they occur;

• Offer a more reasoned, cogent and intellectually honest view of sexual politics;

• Address the variety of problems faced by men and boys under feminist governance and attempt to ameliorate those problems;

• Push for an end to rape hysteria, domestic violence hysteria and false allegations;

• Promote a culture that values equal treatment under the law for all human beings;

• Facilitate a new social contract between men and women, leading to mutual respect, accountability and expectation.

• AVFM’s sole ideology is compassion for men and boys that is equal to that of women and any other identified group.

Our Values

• AVfM regards gender ideologues and all other agents of misandry as a social malignancy. We do not consider them well intentioned or honest agents for their purported goals and extend to them no more courtesy or consideration than we would klansmen, skinheads, neo Nazi’s or other purveyors of hate. We will educate them where they are willing to learn, but hold them accountable for their ignorance as much as their actions;

• We take no side at all in partisan political struggles and, after weighing the evidence at hand, generally view all organized mainstream political options as gynocentric;

• We support and endorse only non-violent reactions to feminist governance and in fact are trying to prevent future acts of violence that feminist governance has already inspired;

• We oppose all state authority over or interference in the private lives of consenting adults engaged in any form of interpersonal relationship;

• We take no stand on religion or lack of religion. We neither endorse nor oppose religious principles.

The interesting thing you’ll notice here is that rather than taking sides on the big issues, most statements are non-committal – no stand on religion, no side in partisan politics, supporting both the family unit and marriage whilst also cautioning against it’s dangers in the current zeitgeist. About the only thing A Voice for Men takes an unequivocal stance against is misandry and the multitude of problems it causes.
Why aren’t the above position statements more absolute in support for one side or the other of popular issues; has AVfM gone soft on mission?
No, not really soft, but smart.
And respectful of individual male self-determination.
Like the endless stupidity that arises from arguing which is the One True God, trying to nail down the One True MHRA Stance on every issue is equally ludicrous. Rather, defining the MHRM becomes partially an act of stating what it is not, of saying neti neti – “neither this, nor that” to every partisan position people attempt to reduce it to. The MHRM can’t be reduced to traditionalism, it can’t be reduced to progressivism, nor conservatism, liberalism, atheism, activism, or any other ism.
Then comes the important question of what it is – the definition that everyone can agree on despite differences in ideology.
Clearly the movement involves political, cultural and self-advocacy in the face of a misandric world… but to what end? AVfM and the wider MHRM – MGTOW too – is based on men having a choice to believe whatever they damn well want to believe and to be afforded the agency and cultural blessing to follow their dreams. The fight for options, for a greater and better range of choices for men and boys is the Ace-card that trumps all partial positions. That constitutes the one defining goal that most MHRAs hold in common even when they violently disagree with each other on other issues.
So by all means boast that you’ve won the right to be a traditionalist or atheist or liberal as a result of your hard-fought men’s rights activity, and I’ll be the first to offer congratulations. Just don’t tell me that the entire MHRM should be aiming for that one choice you decided to opt for.
Voices for choices, millions of them….. that’s what the MHRM stands for.

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