A men’s rights group tried and failed at stealthily holding a concert on the Toronto Islands
Men’s rights groups have become internet pariahs, thanks in large part to their unfailingly tone-deaf approach to redressing what they call “misandry,” or hatred of men. This week, though, one local group almost managed to eke out a victory. Almost.
As reported by Vice, a men’s rights group euphemistically known as the Canadian Association for Equality had organized a concert at Artscape Gibraltar Point, an artists’ retreat on the Toronto Islands. The event, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, was supposed to be headlined by Ron Hawkins and the Do Good Assassins, and would have been in honour of a made-up holiday called “Equality Day.” When questioned by Vice and the Globe, Artscape and at least one of the musicians on the bill claimed to have had no idea that the event was connected to the men’s rights movement. Artscape cancelled the concert before the first news reports were even published.
E-Day itself isn’t cancelled, though. In a press release, the Canadian Association for Equality says the celebrations will instead take place at Yonge-Dundas Square—or, actually, on the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas, across the street from the square, next to all the weird loudspeaker evangelists, which seems somehow appropriate.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/mens-rights-group-tried-failed-stealthily-hold-concert-toronto-islands/&title=A men’s rights group tried and failed at stealthily holding a concert on the Toronto Islands&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/e-day-small.jpg&description=Men's rights groups have become internet pariahs, thanks in large part to their unfailingly tone-deaf approach to redressing what they call "misandry," or hatred of men. This week, though, one local group almost managed to eke out a victory. Almost.
As reported by Vice, a men's rights group euphemistically known as the Canadian Association for Equality had organized a concert at Artscape Gibraltar Point, an artists' retreat on the Toronto Islands. The event, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, was supposed to be headlined by Ron Hawkins and the Do Good Assassins, and would have been in honour of a made-up holiday called "Equality Day." When questioned by Vice and the Globe, Artscape and at least one of the musicians on the bill claimed to have had no idea that the event was connected to the men's rights movement. Artscape cancelled the concert before the first news reports were even published.
E-Day itself isn't cancelled, though. In a press release, the Canadian Association for Equality says the celebrations will instead take place at Yonge-Dundas Square—or, actually, on the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas, across the street from the square, next to all the weird loudspeaker evangelists, which seems somehow appropriate.){kind=link}
This makes Toronto Life seem gratuitously hateful and uninformed. There is nothing stealthy about the publicly advertized Canadian Association for Equality event. CAFE is a thoughtful, reasonable advocate for men and boys with no ill will toward anyone. Men and boys have real issues in a society that often seems to treat maleness as an evil, and this petty, gloating little item in Toronto Life only makes the point that they suffer their own forms of abuse.
Toronto is a very insular and not overly accepting community if this is supposed to be the “informed” view of one one of its not overly informed scribblers. My quick read of this little uninformed rant tells me this about the author:
He is a pro-feminist, left leaning, truly not well informed “carrier” of stereotypes and discrimination.
My understanding is there are no shortage of this species lurking in the downtown area of hogtown. and this parochial little scribbler probably think his Toronto is a “world class” city. Yeah right, eh lad.
Screwing the right of free assembly, free speech, and freedom of association is world class. Best chuckle of the day.
Well said.
When we men have something to say it is quashed. Whats that all about? I don’t think it is democratic to do that. Nor is our current government.
There is a long list of men’s issues, any one of which would zoom to the top priority of the “Equal” Rights Movement and would be covered sympathetically by the media IF they affected women as directly as they affect men. By maintaining the silence and disparaging the people who try to raise awareness about it, the media is failing to do their job and western civilization is committing suicide.
First off – CAFE are not a men’s rights group. I’m from AVFM. WE are a men’s rights group. The leadership of CAFE holds the opinion that men have already-established rights. Their fight is not with this idea, but in raising awareness of the issues that affect men and boys and helping to provide services to those who are in need.
That’s what CAFE do, and while not affiliated to AVFM, we support them in their cause because it is just and right.
This article is a pile of steaming bullshit – absolute nonsense of the highest order.
It’s very difficult to be men. No one ever listens to you, and you have no social power. You earn less than your counterparts, are seriously underrepresented at the executive level of businesses and in government. You face high rates of physical and sexual violence. That must be a terrible hardship… oh wait… that’s women… STFU.
No one took away those rights. You have the right to assemble, speak and associate – just not on the property of an organization you deceived. Have fun on the street corner tomorrow!
What deception butttercup?
Downplaying the group’s interests in specific men’s rights issues, giving the event an innocuous title to detract from the group’s agenda. Granted, the venue/artists/sponsors should have investigated before signing on, but CAFE actively chose language that would allow them to sail under the radar. When confronted, the veneer of inclusiveness quickly disappeared and the group’s anti-feminist, anti-woman, men’s rights bias showed through.
As for your attempt to condescend to and belittle me by referring to me as “buttercup”, it is transparent and boring and just shows anyone reading this that you are a misogynistic asshole. Bravo!
LOL. So equal parenting ( equal means both parents love) is scary to the paranoid feminists. Things are worse than I thought.
I’m always condescending to hard core feminists. You are a breed apart and as intolerant as any group on the planet – er..buttercup.
PS: Feminists are a minority group and do not represent all women. Shaming language like misogyny is way overplayed and is redundant and silly. What do you call female anti-feminists love? They outnumber you poor self styled victimized people by a country mile.
“no one ever listens to you, and you have no social power. what rubbish and typical whining by self entitled western feminist. That’s why the media, both corporate and social, jump to your defense and support whenever there is a purported slight. Western feminists have a higher standard of living, longer life, higher income, better access to health and education than over 2 billion males on the planet, so keep complaining about “no power”. Campus feminists claim 1 in 5 rape stats and the White House literally jumps to their defense with a report and program, guys get raped in prisons for centuries but who cares? They were asking for it by getting incarcerated.
There is a lot of knee-jerk ignorance in the article. And fear of change.
Thank GOD women don’t promote hate!!!!
Back by popular demand! We’ve gotten so many requests to put the full text back on the site – we did it. Frankly, it is now all over the web, just do a search on SCUM Manifesto. Many of the other sites that have this text exploit it for anti-feminist ends. Don’t be taken in by this crap. Read her biography below and see the movie “I Shot Andy Warhol”.
http://www.womynkind.org/scum.htm
Back by popular demand! We’ve gotten so many requests to put the full text back on the site – we did it. Frankly, it is now all over the web, just do a search on SCUM Manifesto. Many of the other sites that have this text exploit it for anti-feminist ends. Don’t be taken in by this crap. Read her biography below and see the movie “I Shot Andy Warhol”.
http://www.womynkind.org/scum.htm