cobbbiz@yahoo.com writes "I have a legal problem that I think is unconstitutional and I don’t have the resources or the knowledge to change it. I need help!:

I am paying $500.00/month in rehabilitative alimony to my ex-wife. She is now living openly with her lesbian partner. Her sexual orientation is the reason for the divorce. Under Alabama state law, the Statute concerning alimony states that it will be terminated if the recipient “cohabitates with a person of the opposite sex”. If my ex-wife were heterosexual and living with another man, the alimony could be immediately terminated. I am working what is equivalent to two jobs while my wife lives in one of the most prestigious areas of Alabama.
Is there any source of help? This could make right a poorly-written Statute and unjust ruling not only for me but for all men and in some cases even women."

Three teenagers and a 20-year-old have filed suit challenging the all-male draft. My guess? The draft today would be an opportunity for many women to get educations in fields such as medicine, air traffic control, and computer science. For men, the draft will generally entail clear threats of forced killing, maiming, and death.

Then again, maybe the Selective Service Act will be overthrown or left the way it is. This bears watching.

Marc A. writes "Big Thanks to NCFM, LA member "Ray" for finding this article by NBC4.TV news that covers NCFM, LA's November 19 rally for a Commission for Men. The article is very brief and just gives a statement about the rally, but it's great that we're finally getting some coverage. It also is nice to see they didn't bash us like others have, and they even quoted a member."

Anonymous User writes "The January, 2003 edition of Readers Digest has devoted the entire "That's Outrageous" section to Male Bashing. There is no link that I can find to the specific article which takes up 2 print pages, but the author, Tucker Carlson is a regular columnist and a co-host for CNN's Crossfire. The article brings up most of the issues that have been presented here before, such as how men are streotyped in advertising and you would be hard pressed to find similar publicity directed towards women. While the article barely scratches the surface, perhaps this exposure to the RD reading public will help open a few more eyes."

I received the following announcement from Men's Health America: "Are you tired of all the one-sided coverage that the media is giving
to gender health issues? Are you disturbed about articles that imply
that a person's life counts for less because he happens to be male? This coming year, Men's Health America has established improved media coverage of men's health as one of our top priorities for 2003. We plan to do something about this bias! Men's Health America would like to invite you to participate as one of our Media Watchdogs." See the Read More section below for details on what this involves...

CJ writes "This is a sad story about a man who killed himself in a police holding cell, hours after he was charged with rape. He has since been cleared of the crime through DNA evidence. Any man that has been charged with trumped-up or blatantly false charges (be it of rape, DV, in family court, etc.) knows how a mere allegation trumps all of your civil rights and opens the floodgates for a nightmarish experience in the name of victim advocacy. Lately it seems that rape convicts are regularly getting cleared of their sentences, like the group of kids that were held responsible NYC Central Park rape. One has to wonder how many men's lives have been ruined with false charges."

A 17-year-old male has been convicted of forcible rape in California. What was his offense? A 17-year-old female was engaging in consensual sex with him. He allegedly continued to have sex for a minute and a half after she said, "I should be going now" and "I need to go home." Note that, by all accounts, she never said that she wanted to stop having sex.

If he had said, "I should be going now" and "I need to go home," and they then continued to have sex, would she have been convicted of rape?

Also note the article's statements "In California, for example, the Legislature and the state's courts have been revising the definition of rape," and "Among other changes, women sometimes were required to physically resist to be a rape victim, or their allegations had to be corroborated." Does this mean that no corroborating evidence is required to obtain a rape conviction against a man? Scott's note: Thanks also to Willj and Luek for submitting this story.

It seems some people in Australia are actually concerned about the status of males in the nation's educational institutions. Peter West, head of the University of Western Sydney's research group on men and families, has stated that "luring more men to teaching may require 'altering the application of a discrimination act' as well as better recruitment and retention strategies."

The Independent Education Union has responded in part with the statement, "Male teachers with traditional views on masculinity may actually be confirming and colluding with the macho culture, not challenging it."

Perhaps only men, who preach that maleness throughout history has been pure evil and that femaleness throughout history has been pure good, should be allowed to have jobs as teachers. That'll sure help boys in school. (sarcasm off)

Steve writes "I will host this week's MANN chat, Wednesday night (1/8),
starting at 9:30 PM Eastern Time, at the usual location. The
topic for this chat will be 'Starting the Year Right: Simple Acts of
Activism.'   2003 is here already.  Let's start the year
with some successful activism.  At this week's chat, we'll discuss
simple but effective ways we can make the world a better place for men
and, ultimately, for all creatures.  We'll generate ideas for
actions you can accomplish in the next week to advance men's issues.
 Instead of developing elaborate plans that take years to execute,
let's see what we can do in one week.  Join us at this week's MANN
chat to share your ideas for some speedy, effective activism.
 Feel free to invite friends to the chat, too!"

Men's most effective response to the hatred, lies, and oppression known as "feminism" may well come one man at a time. A recent study in Australia shows that of men aged 50-54, 67% had children by the age of 30 (33% did not have children by the age of 30). Of men aged 30-34, only 32% had children by the age of 30. Men today seem to be putting off having children, or refusing outright to do it.

Men may well be asking themselves: Would allowing a female to become pregnant using my sperm be the stupidest and most self-destructive thing that I could possibly do?

CJ writes "A California-based group is offering money to drug addicted-men and women in Brooklyn who agree to be sterilized or receive long-term birth control. The program is fundamentally incompatible with a health program that respects a woman's right to choose,'' Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Times. What about a man's right to choice? Like every gender issue today, only a female perspective is considered..."

Steve Imparl writes, "I am happy to announce that the next chat at MaleDepression.com will take place on Tuesday, January 7, 2003, at 8:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. (This is Wednesday, January 8, 2003, at 02:30 GMT.)

The chat will be held in MaleDepression.com's chat room. We will talk about our experiences with depression, with particular emphasis on the male experience of this illness and the difficulties we have in seeking and continuing treatment. Specifically, as a topic, I'd like to suggest that we talk about "Renewing Our Commitment to Personal Wellness." How can we take care of ourselves, stay well, and deal with our mood disorders each day? I am dedicating this chat to the memory of Mr. Derrick Miller, who died one year ago on January 6, 2003. Mr. Miller was a suicide victim."

fightbigotry2002 writes "For those of you who live in Maryland, if you need motivation to get involved with the process, take a risk to make your voice heard, consider what happens when we don't speak up for others. See this collection of articles about people who were wrongfully convicted of crimes and then exhonerated 15 to 20 years into their sentence. Get involved now because someday it may be your turn to be the target of a political witch hunt. Andrew Young was right, there are political prisoners in the US."

Men's News Daily has a page with several links related to the story of Derrick Miller, a divorced father who killed himself in front of a San Diego courthouse. January 6 will be the one-year anniversary of Miller's death. The fact that men like Miller, Darrin White, and others have nowhere other than suicide to turn to due to the unjust oppression of men and fathers should be a reminder to us all about our need to keep fighting for these causes.

Trudy W Schuett writes "Historically, the Preditors and Editors poll has been overloaded with chickbooks and girl-published ‘zines. This year is different! Go over and vote for your favorite author, publisher, ‘zine and etcetera. You also have the option to add a favorite that’s not already listed — but you only get one vote in each category. Check here and you’ll find some familiar names. The poll is only open until January 21, so don’t miss out on a fast, free, and painless way to break the pink barrier!"