John-Rhys williams @JRWishere - Twitter Profile

about 1 year ago

Three weeks have passed since the historic announcement of a U.K. bill to create a Violence Against Men and Boys strategy, and three weeks of awkward silence from the biggest and most powerful men’s health and male suicide charity in the world – namely @MovemberUK. This is of no surprise of course. Movember have never openly supported such a cause, and have decided that as a ‘Men's Health and Suicide Prevention’ charity, male victims of abuse are not within their remit. Which is… absurd. The NHS, the UN, the CDC, the World Health Organisation, and the U.K. Government, all consider violence against women to be a women’s health issue, which I agree, it is. So why not the same for violence against men? The most recent preliminary data from the ONS finds that 1.5 million men were abused last year in England and Wales, making up nearly 40% of all victims. Are we really to believe that there is no meaningful link between experiences of abuse and suicide, or that being abused doesn’t have an enormous detrimental impact on a person’s physical and mental health? I think, if we are to have this discussion, it ought to be an honest one. Honest in saying that experiences of abuse, suicidal ideation, and men’s health, are inextricably linked; and the reason why Movember will say nothing on the matter, is not because it’s irrelevant, but because they’re afraid. This to me, is entirely understandable. To talk about male victims of abuse, particularly those at the hands of women, is wildly unpopular, and will not win the awards and plaudits Movember have gotten used to hanging around their own necks. And I know – Advocacy for VAMB will not make your powerful friends happy. Media appearances, political chinwags, and invites to those slick corporate events will likely dry up; and it will certainly draw the ire of more than a handful of people. But... it will save lives. Saving the lives of men and boys, and lifting male victims of abuse out of the immiseration they’re marinating in, is what’s important. For decades we've ignored such victims; denied, diminished, blamed, and ridiculed them, and shining the bright light of advocacy, down into the doldrums so many quietly stand in, is worth it. It’s more important than your political comfort, or professional ambitions. It’s more important than your golden handshakes, photo ops, and even your funding. And I don’t mind if you have to take a step down from the podium of self-congratulation you stand on. I don’t mind if mud is slung at you, or if you’re bruised and bloodied a little, as you take some heat in the trenches of real advocacy, like the rest of us. I’m okay with Movember taking a drubbing from the media, or by politicians, or being henpecked by those in the women’s sector; for insisting that no victim of abuse should be left behind. For any sleep they might lose from such a backlash, is nothing in comparison to the abused men who sleep in tents, cars, and bus shelters, in neighbour’s gardens, and under bridges; as ugly and inconvenient reminders of our failure. The many men who, left without hope, turn to suicide instead. So I leave you with the words of my hero, @stephenfry who speaks so eloquently of where real progress comes from: "Progress is not achieved by preachers and guardians of morality, but by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels, and sceptics.” There is profound truth in that. Progress is not about political comfort; it is, by its very definition, about the exact opposite. Progress comes from grassroots diligence and courage, fearlessly fought for and won by troublemakers, who walk through fire and brimstone, no matter the cost, in the pursuit of truth. So, the question is, will Movember support the bill for a strategy on Violence Against Men and Boys? Is their deafening silence an answer itself? And without their support, if the bill fails, what will Movember say to the thousands of vulnerable men and boys they leave behind, whose lives will be devastated, and lost, as a consequence of their cowardice? What do you think?

TheTinMenBlog's tweet photo. Three weeks have passed since the historic announcement of a U.K. bill to create a Violence Against Men and Boys strategy, and three weeks of awkward silence from the biggest and most powerful men’s health and male suicide charity in the world – namely @MovemberUK.

This is of no surprise of course.

Movember have never openly supported such a cause, and have decided that as a ‘Men's Health and Suicide Prevention’ charity, male victims of abuse are not within their remit.

Which is… absurd.

The NHS, the UN, the CDC, the World Health Organisation, and the U.K. Government, all consider violence against women to be a women’s health issue, which I agree, it is.

So why not the same for violence against men?

The most recent preliminary data from the ONS finds that 1.5 million men were abused last year in England and Wales, making up nearly 40% of all victims.

Are we really to believe that there is no meaningful link between experiences of abuse and suicide, or that being abused doesn’t have an enormous detrimental impact on a person’s physical and mental health?

I think, if we are to have this discussion, it ought to be an honest one.

Honest in saying that experiences of abuse, suicidal ideation, and men’s health, are inextricably linked; and the reason why Movember will say nothing on the matter, is not because it’s irrelevant, but because they’re afraid.

This to me, is entirely understandable.

To talk about male victims of abuse, particularly those at the hands of women, is wildly unpopular, and will not win the awards and plaudits Movember have gotten used to hanging around their own necks.

And I know –

Advocacy for VAMB will not make your powerful friends happy. Media appearances, political chinwags, and invites to those slick corporate events will likely dry up; and it will certainly draw the ire of more than a handful of people.

But... it will save lives.

Saving the lives of men and boys, and lifting male victims of abuse out of the immiseration they’re marinating in, is what’s important.

For decades we've ignored such victims; denied, diminished, blamed, and ridiculed them, and shining the bright light of advocacy, down into the doldrums so many quietly stand in, is worth it.

It’s more important than your political comfort, or professional ambitions. It’s more important than your golden handshakes, photo ops, and even your funding.

And I don’t mind if you have to take a step down from the podium of self-congratulation you stand on.

I don’t mind if mud is slung at you, or if you’re bruised and bloodied a little, as you take some heat in the trenches of real advocacy, like the rest of us.

I’m okay with Movember taking a drubbing from the media, or by politicians, or being henpecked by those in the women’s sector; for insisting that no victim of abuse should be left behind.

For any sleep they might lose from such a backlash, is nothing in comparison to the abused men who sleep in tents, cars, and bus shelters, in neighbour’s gardens, and under bridges; as ugly and inconvenient reminders of our failure.

The many men who, left without hope, turn to suicide instead.

So I leave you with the words of my hero, @stephenfry who speaks so eloquently of where real progress comes from:

"Progress is not achieved by preachers and guardians of morality, but by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels, and sceptics.”

There is profound truth in that.

Progress is not about political comfort; it is, by its very definition, about the exact opposite.

Progress comes from grassroots diligence and courage, fearlessly fought for and won by troublemakers, who walk through fire and brimstone, no matter the cost, in the pursuit of truth.

So, the question is, will Movember support the bill for a strategy on Violence Against Men and Boys?

Is their deafening silence an answer itself?

And without their support, if the bill fails, what will Movember say to the thousands of vulnerable men and boys they leave behind, whose lives will be devastated, and lost, as a consequence of their cowardice?

What do you think?

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John-Rhys williams

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