(ALTERNET)
By Jodie Gummow
The ongoing inflammatory diatribes emanating from the radical men's rights movement (MRM) has been a cause for concern, particularly following the recent # womenagainstfeminism campaign which saw radical MRM groups unleash a scathing misogynist-fuelled attack on feminists.
Not only have such incidents diminished the group's chance of being taken seriously as a meaningful social movement, but have tended to drown out the voices of the more moderate and pro-feminist men’s groups fighting important social issues that affect men, such as sexual abuse in prisons, child custody rights, lack of shelter for homeless men and high fatal workplace rates.
But, it wasn’t always this way. Many would be surprised to learn that the men’s rights movement sprung up in the 1970s led by pro-feminist males in response to second wave feminism. Surrounded by feminists and interested in supporting feminist ideas, these men recognized their power and privilege and through a critical lens began to challenge the notion of “traditional masculinity” and the dominant model of manhood by working with one another.