Male Student Kills Himself On Day His University Drops International Men's Day

Less than 24 hours after a male student at the University of York killed himself, York announced it would not be marking International Men’s Day after pressure from feminist campaigners, Breitbart has learned. International Men’s day seeks to raise awareness of men’s health issues and the male suicide epidemic.A spokesman for the university declined to comment on the death pending an investigation but North Yorkshire Police told Breitbart: “Police were called by the ambulance service at about 2.30am on Monday 16 November to a report of a 21-year-old man with life-threatening injuries at an address in Lawrence Street, York. He was taken to York Hospital but has since sadly died.”Breitbart was made aware of the death after an anonymous tip-off from another York student angry that the university appeared to be downplaying the seriousness of men’s mental health issues by announcing it would “not mark” International Men’s Day.British Labour MP Jess Phillips was forced to issue a statement earlier this month insisting she did care about men’s health issues after laughing at the idea of International Men’s Day in Parliament. Phillips has since pledged to launch a campaign about skyrocketing male suicide rates.Men’s issues journalist and formed editor of Loaded Martin Daubney told Breitbart: “This is a tragic human consequence of a systematic prejudice against young men whereby suppressing their ability to express their emotions can lead to very real consequences. The University of York should hang its head in shame.”
200 staff, students and alumni wrote a letter on Monday to the University of Yorkdemanding that it retract its commitment to mark International Men’s Day. As we reported yesterday, the letter described the ideal of “equality for everyone” as “misogynistic rhetoric.” It also complained that organisers did not “seek a dialogue on such issues with women’s equality campaigns or initiatives” before making their decision to mark International Men’s Day.“We believe that men’s issues cannot be approached in the same way as unfairness and discrimination towards women, because women are structurally unequal to men,” the letter concluded. Signatories included the student union LGBTQ and Women’s Officers and lecturers from Politics, English, Philosophy, History and Law Departments, according to student newspaper Nouse.The university complied with this demand the same day, barely 24 hours after the unnamed young man’s death. The feminist letter-writing group published a second open letter today complaining of “abuse” and “harassment” they say they have received following their campaign to have International Men’s Day cancelled. The organisers said they were “at risk” from men’s rights activists.The university has apologised for the “unhappiness” caused by its previous support for International Men’s Day. In a public statement on its website, it added: “The Equality and Diversity Committee is clear that the main focus of gender equality work should continue to be on the inequalities faced by women … The statement marking this year’s International Men’s Day has been withdrawn and we can confirm that we will no longer be marking International Men’s Day 2015.”Meanwhile, York students have been expressing their disbelief today that the university apparently sees no need to highlight men’s health issues. “As a student currently going through a rough time and struggling a bit with mental health, I think it’s sad to know that the university isn’t willing to address these issues given that the biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide and that it effectively doesn’t care,” a student who asked to be referred to as “Will” told Breitbart.“I also find it bewildering that we celebrate international women’s day but not men’s when men are in fact the minority on campus.” Will asked that his full name be omitted because “I don’t want [the university women’s officer’s] army of fembots on my back.”Another student, Matthew Edwards, said this morning: “Our student union has done nothing to help us because it is a left-wing mouthpiece. I have received abuse for my stance within YUSU and from feminists particularly. Thank you for running the article. Fathers 4 justice may be coming to protest on Thursday.”In response to a request Edwards to consider installing a Men’s Officer on campus, York’sWomen’s Officer Ananna Zaman posted an image on Facebook that read: “Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.” The image was liked by 45 people.Glen Poole, UK Co-ordinator for International Men’s Day, told Breitbart: “Research tells us that men find it easier to get help when the problem they are dealing with is socially acceptable. No-one thinks twice about taking a pill to help with a headache. But when the pain inside your head is so great you’d rather kill yourself than carry on, reaching out for help can feel impossible, particularly for men with little experience of getting help with their personal problems and concerns.“Creating an environment where men’s issues are openly discussed can play a major role in helping men get help. So when academics and students resist attempts to talk about men’s issues, as happened in York, they help create a kind of suicidal culture where men are shamed into staying silent about the issues they face as a man.”A petition calling on the University of York to celebrate International Men’s Day now has over 1,000 signatures.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/11/18/male-university-of-york-student-commits-suicide-on-day-his-university-ditches-international-mens-day-after-pressure-from-feminists/

Far from me to connect with the MRA movement, but it seems senseless that there cannot be a day associated with men's mental health 'because women face different challenges'. Spineless university

Basically the men's rights movement stopped anything to do with ken's rights being taken seriously. How ironic.

I don't believe promoting an international men's day would do much for men's mental health.

If past threads on TSR are anything to go by, some will use this guy's death to paint feminists as the embodiment of evil. That also will do jack **** for men's mental health. It's not a men vs women issue.

What would make a difference is a substantial increase in mental health funding. Men and women suffer because they can not access adequate services. For example they aren't able to talk to qualified professionals, instead they are told to go home and do some crappy online mindfulness program. Mental health has always been a bit of a Cinderella service. But we have a government that wants to make it worse by running mental health provision into the ground.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/18/mental-health-urgent-funding-nhs-crisis-hospitals

Gender differences in suicide rates have been shown to be significant; there are highly asymmetric rates of attempted and completed suicides between males and females.[1]
The gap, also called the "gender paradox of suicidal behavior", can vary significantly among different countries.[2] Statistics indicate that males die by suicide more frequently than do females; however the prevalence of suicidal thoughts was significantly higher among females than it was among males and there is no statistically significant difference for suicide planning or suicide attempts between the genders.[3][4]

Not too dissimilar with much of the modern feminism movement either though right?

I'd say that many of the problems that are present with in the men's rights movement are the same problems that are present within feminism. The end result being that a good number of people who support gender equality wanting nothing to do with either.

And, if you want an example look no further than this instance. Under pressure from the University's feminist society we basically have an instance where people are being told that the inequalities suffered by men don't matter, and we're only going to focus on those that women face ... and gee you wonder why people don't want to be associated with feminism?

If past threads on TSR are anything to go by, some will use this guy's death to paint feminists as the embodiment of evil. That also will do jack **** for men's mental health. It's not a men vs women issue.

Is it any wonder that the feminist society are against such an event when 90% of mens rights activity appears to be for the sole purpose of attacking feminism, and actually gives less of a **** about mens problems than feminism itself does. Where was the outcry on social media from mens rights advocates when the government pulled funding from the only male rape charity in the Uk? There was none. There were plenty of feminist bloggers and posters speaking out against it though.

Far from me to connect with the MRA movement, but it seems senseless that there cannot be a day associated with men's mental health 'because women face different challenges'. Spineless university.

I don't believe promoting an international men's day would do much for men's mental health.If past threads on TSR are anything to go by, some will use this guy's death to paint feminists as the embodiment of evil. That also will do jack **** for men's mental health. It's not a men vs women issue.What would make a difference is a substantial increase in mental health funding. Men and women suffer because they can not access adequate services. For example they aren't able to talk to qualified professionals, instead they are told to go home and do some crappy online mindfulness program. Mental health has always been a bit of a Cinderella service. But we have a government that wants to make it worse by running mental health provision into the ground.http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/18/mental-health-urgent-funding-nhs-crisis-hospitals

There are issues for concern around IMD (for example the fact that it was set up by a group that actively campaigns against same sex marriage and for legalisation and government funding for gay conversion "therapies" but I think the CALM website makes it clear where the focus *should* be today (and it isn't on UoY making a PR ****up):

https://www.thecalmzone.net/2015/11/why-we-need-to-discuss-men/

There was an outcry. They blamed the feminists

I bet most of them voted Tory as well. Wouldn't want to vote labour with their pink buses.

I think this pretty much sums the men's rights movement, too busy talking **** about feminism to actually get off there arsed and help vulnerable men.

Far from me to connect with the MRA movement, but it seems senseless that there cannot be a day associated with men's mental health 'because women face different challenges'. Spineless university.

It seems these days young people are willing to take offence or get wound up 'cause drama' over the slightest perceived injustice, such as that Halloween petition in America, yet don't engage with the same enthusiasm to meaningful issues. Discuss.