MHRA MP Philip Davies Asks What Plans There Are To Commemorate International Men’s Day

By Mike Buchanan: Ally Fogg, a feminist commentator on gender matters, published a piece on this matter today. He makes a few good points – that makes a change – but then descends into predictable feminist ideology. The second sentence:

Philip Davies (yes, him again, I know) [My emphasis. Fogg is sneering at one of only two MPs among 650 – both Conservatives – who ever speak up for the human rights of men and boys. The other is Karl McCartney (C, Lincoln)] placed a question to the Women and Equalities ministerial team, asking how the government planned to mark International Men’s Day this year.

For sheer idiocy, this takes some beating:

Here’s the thing about men. As a gender (relatively speaking and globally) we have a lot of power. We have a lot of platforms. We often have loud voices. But as every mental health professional will tell you, as every doctor will tell you, as more than a few wives and girlfriends will tell you, one thing men tend to be absolutely terrible at is speaking about our own problems, admitting to our own vulnerabilities, confessing our own weaknesses. This is true of men as individuals and it is equally true of men as a gender.

It’s the tired old ‘men should be more like women, and talk about their problems’ argument, and as always, nothing is said about reactive depression, where ‘talking about problems’ will do nothing about (for example) being denied access to children or grandchildren, MGM, or countless other issues. Indeed, talking about problems will only open wounds that may be best left closed. Stoicism is a fine masculine quality, and without it, the male:female suicide rate differential would be a damned sight higher than the current 5:1.
Our thanks to John for this, a link to the commentary on the exchanges in the House of Commons (scroll down to 10:27 if you want to see the original):

Conservative MP Philip Davies asks what plans there are to commemorate International Men’s Day.
“Some women might be forgiven for thinking every day is international men’s day,” replies minister Caroline Dinenage, but says the day, which falls on 19 November, will focus on “the very important issue of male suicide” – which Mr Davies also highlights.
The minister adds that it is up to backbenchers to “bid for parliamentary time” to hold a debate to mark the day – as they do to mark International Women’s Day.
Mr Davies says the prime minister takes the matter seriously and alleges that the department does not.
Ms Dinenage says the role of the department is to “tackle inequality wherever we find it”.
Labour MP Christian Matheson says that International Men’s Day could allow “fathers of daughters to express concerns, such as why those daughters might have to wait another 30 years for equal pay” and over violence against women and girls.

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