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Double standards?

(45 Posts)
sunseeker Thu 25-Oct-18 09:22:26

Bristol University Students Union created three voluntary posts, Women's Officer, Trans Officer and Men's Officer. Only one man came forward to stand as Men's Officer on a platform of helping male students with mental health problems having suffered with his own mental health in the past. He has had to stand down as he has received hate messages and abuse online main, I'm ashamed to say from women. He is being accused of being anti-female and anti-trans when he has in fact voiced support for women's rights and for the trans community.

If the abuse had been aimed at the women's officer or trans officer there would have been an outcry, demonstrations and demands those sending the abuse to be thrown out of the university.

EllanVannin Thu 25-Oct-18 10:09:19

Such comparisons have gone too far altogether. No wonder there are so many mental health issues which are all due to the unnecessary awareness of certain ways of life. It's created a truly obnoxious set of people whose paranoia over this to reach such a crescendo that people's lives have been ruined. It's another excuse to bully and abuse. Horrible.

Jaycee5 Thu 25-Oct-18 10:18:41

That has happened to men trying to get help for male victims of domestic violence. I don't understand how some women have such difficulty understanding that men's issues matter too and they aren't asking for support to be taken away for women or for the difference in numbers to be ignored.
With mental health, everyone should get equal help and anyone challenging the help others are getting needs to get a grip. Bristol University has a bad record when it comes to dealing with bullying and suicide and seems as if it did not give support to people trying to help with the situation. Online abuse is hard to deal with and sometime people need someone to screen comments so it doesn't overwhelm them.

GabriellaG Thu 25-Oct-18 10:48:39

I personally have no truck with any gender nonsense.
There are only 2 as far as I'm concerned and all the pc/diversity/ blended/inclusivity/acronym rubbish is just that...rubbish and, as for class, humankind will never be a classless society.

LullyDully Thu 25-Oct-18 10:53:58

I am prepared to be open minded but wonder what percentage of the population is trans.

Obviously we don't want to discriminate,as in the past, but it does feel like a good 50% of the population if the media is to be trusted. Am I just being a cynical old dear?

Tillybelle Thu 25-Oct-18 11:22:58

sunseeker I'm glad you have raised this. The minority groups who have milked their "downtrodden" status have, for too long, believed that they hold inviolable rights above anybody else. I saw this as far back as the early 90s.

I hope our support for this misused and public spirited young man, who understands suffering already, will reach him and he will at least know that we abhor that he has received such despicable treatment.

I hope he reported it to the Police because it is a hate-crime. I send him my support and very best wishes.

Tillybelle Thu 25-Oct-18 11:26:52

LullyDully.

I totally agree. Awareness of Trans is good. However, it is extremely over-represented in the media. So much so, I even wonder if there is a strange agenda promoting it. Imho it is unhelpful to keep having it pushed in our faces so much. It makes people look for it where it does not exist.

Oldwoman70 Thu 25-Oct-18 11:50:50

I heard this report on local radio and a lady rang in to say that her son had telephoned her in tears because he is a student at Bristol is suffering with mental health problems but feels he has no-one to turn to, he was hoping a "Men's Officer" would be someone who could help him.

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 12:19:04

There are problems at Bristol University and several students have, sadly, taken their own lives. I don't know if this is a general thing across the country. As far as I know, there used to be on-site support in halls of residence but I think this is no longer the case although they do have student centres which offer help.

The university has also launched a "science of happiness" course in a bid to improve well-being.
It is hoped the optional 10-week course will give students a "greater understanding of what happiness is".
"Ultimately, the aim of this course is to give students a greater understanding of what happiness is and how the human mind often sabotages happiness,"

I wonder whether this course is the answer or whether the authorities are not addressing the real problems that obviously exist.

This case sounds like out and out bullying and the women students concerned should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

mabon1 Thu 25-Oct-18 12:20:06

Yes double standards

Neilspurgeon0 Thu 25-Oct-18 14:05:15

How can we best support this rather brave young man in light of the clearly misfoccussed views of the ‘activist’ Student’s Union people and their inability to understand common humanity and empathy?

I read only today that the President of Southampton SU plans herself to paint over a mural of alumni who were killed in WWI because they were “white men”. In 1914 that WAS the junior officer class, subultans who died in droves on the Western Front and at Gallipoli.

I get a bit mad at the inability of today’s very privileged youth to ‘get’ what we old fogies are about...I know it takes a lifetime to develop wisdom, but common sense!!

Oldwoman70 Thu 25-Oct-18 14:14:42

Neil I agree with you. As her objection to this mural appears to be because those depicted are white - isn't that in itself racist?

maddyone Thu 25-Oct-18 14:19:31

The only group left that can be abused and disrespected is the group comprised of white, middle class men. Then it’s ok apparently.

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 14:36:08

As her objection to this mural appears to be because those depicted are white - isn't that in itself racist?
Yes

The extremely worrying thing about all this is that these people are supposed to be 'bright'

They come across as unintelligent, uneducated idiots.

HannahLoisLuke Thu 25-Oct-18 14:53:54

I agree with Gabriella.
Sick to death of all this nonsense.

Tweedle24 Thu 25-Oct-18 14:57:30

I believe it was Bristol (I am ready to be corrected) that has changed, or is about to change, the name of a building, named after the philanthropist who paid for it, because he was also a slave owner/trader.
Before it is suggested, I do not condone slavery but, realise that it was a culture of the time and needs to be recognised as such.

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 15:04:11

Yes, Colston Hall will be renamed in 2020.

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 15:08:25

I don't know that he built it as a concert venue, I think Colston founded a school there originally; not much of the original remains.

Nonnie Thu 25-Oct-18 15:13:56

It is heartening to read this thread, finally men get the support they deserve.

People like Jess Philips have, for far too long, been able to condemn all men and refuse to recognise that men face the same issues women do. Not all men are abusers and some women are but it never seems to be acknowledged and men are afraid to speak out for fear of not been believed. Not so long ago on Gn I read that because men are bigger and stronger than women they cannot be abused by women.

Is it time we had a Minister for Men as we have for women?

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 15:21:13

May I make a correction to the OP please?

It is not Bristol University where this has happened, it is UWE - the University of the West of England (based in Bristol).

Other problems re welfare of students which I mentioned were related to Bristol University.

student standing as Men's Officer forced to step down after 'harassment' - Bristol Live

I would say that those opposing this are guilty of sexism.

Jalima1108 Thu 25-Oct-18 15:21:52

sory, try again
www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/uwe-student-standing-mens-officer-2143628

Overthehills Thu 25-Oct-18 15:25:44

What Nonnie and others have said ...

sodapop Thu 25-Oct-18 15:26:03

I agree Jalima Seems its ok to disrespect white men now however much they have done for others or their country.
Hard to believe they could be so blinkered about the the Men's Officer or so abusive.

Nonnie Thu 25-Oct-18 16:45:03

While I'm ranting about unfairness to men I will mention grants. DS is a white heterosexual male who is in a position to apply for certain grants but as soon as he reads the qualifications he gives up as they make it quite clear that no matter how good his application is, it is only going to be given to someone from a 'minority', e.g trans, gay, female, disabled or brown or preferably several of those! A friend who is a non-exec director of a charity suggested he said he was planning to become a woman!

Sparklefizz Thu 25-Oct-18 18:24:43

The thing regarding slavery is, it has been ongoing for millennia and slave-owners were not always white, which seems to be overlooked. Marvin Humes, a mixed race pop star/presented recently on "Who Do You Think You Are" was all prepared to find out that his ancestors had been slaves .... and then was shocked to find that his Great Grandfather bought himself out of slavery and then had owned slaves himself! Arabs were trading other Arab slaves until quite recently, historically speaking, the Romans had several races as slaves, etc etc. I get fed up with white males always being painted as the bad guys. As Sodapop says above.