Ed Bartlett of Men's Health America has issued a press release on the myths of gender health research today at the American Public Health convention in Boston, MA. This event is a very big deal. We expect a lot of mainstream coverage of this "atomic bomb", as Ed describes it, and Mensactivism.org will be actively monitoring major media outlets for coverage of this event. For now, click here to read a ton of facts on gender in health research that were presented in the press release.

We received an excellent feature article this week from Thomas Golden. Tom is a psychotherapist who approaches his work from a male-affirming perspective, and recently put out a book on the ways that men deal with loss. The feature article is an excerpt from his book Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing. Whether you've lost a loved one recently, gone through a bad divorce, or have to struggle very day to maintain your sanity while trying to get custody of your children back, we have all felt pain and loss at some point of our lives. Tom acknowledges the unique ways that men deal with hurt and loss, and honors them with the essays and healing methods he describes in his book. This is one issue every man must confront, and Tom's writing is rare in how it speaks to men in such positive, productive ways. Click "Read More" below for the text of his essay...

This story from Reuters news at AOL examines the misandrist messages in Hollywood movies, taking Charlie's Angels as a case in point. "Charlie's Angels opened to a record $40 million last weekend, and it's no surprise audience were anxious to see it. Sony did a bang-up job in marketing the film, including an action-packed trailer: One man gets thrown to the ground, two men get slugged and seven men get kicked in the face...Why do men put up with this persecution?" I'm not much of a movie-goer myself, and this has quite a bit to do with it.

Marc Angelucci writes "Well, look at this story. Sonia Flores, the former lover of L.A.P.D. Officer Rafael Perez, after telling authorities Perez killed people and buried them in Mexico, now admits - after her story was discounted - that she lied. Why? Because he didn't marry her. According to her own attorney, she 'made up the stories because she still feels jilted by Perez and wanted to see him spend the rest of his life behind bars.' Imagine the terror he's been feeling all this time, with nobody to believe him. Her attorney puts it quite nicely: 'She's a woman scorned . . . She had everybody fooled.' This is a great opportunity to write letters and op-eds to our local papers on false accusations." I've put some details about suggested research sources for false accusations info in the extended body of this story. Click Read More below to read it.

Dean Tong forwarded me some detailed instructions for men who are falsely accused of domestic violence. Dean is a Trial Consultant who believes that the recent passage of VAWA is going to increase the number of men falsely accused of domestic violence. Click "Read More" to read his advice. Note: The Men's Activism News Network is not responsible for the results or application of any legal advice presented through this web site.

Today is Veteran's Day - a day to honor and reflect upon the contributions that war veterans have made to protect the freedoms we currently enjoy in this country. Obviously, this shouldn't be the only day we pay respect to those who have struggled and fought for us, but I hope we will all take some time today to think about what it really means to have risked one's life in wartime. You can visit the Veteran's Day Home Page by the US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs here. Also, read on for a message that I found distributed on the internet last year.

An anonymous reader sent in this link to a Boston Globe article related to politics in domestic violence. Apparently they were on an Oprah Winfrey talk show where Oprah falsely portrayed them as battered women. Was this the intentional misrepresentation of domestic violence, or a legitimate mistake? I don't know, but the women suing thought they were on the show for reasons completely unrelated to domestic violence.

Despite the large amount of depressing and frustrating news, good things do get into the newspapers occasionally. Here's a story from the Houston Chronicle about a 6 year-old boy who emerged from a car crash in heavy rain and flagged down help for his grandmother and brother who were stuck in the car. This little guy deserves a lot of praise.

Marc Angelucci writes "The L.A. Times printed this article that repeats the "women earn 74 cents to a man's dollar" myth. A few letters to the L.A. Times (letters@latimes.com) might help get a response printed. Go here for some facts to use in response." The facts Marc refers to were actually compiled by me, and I hope others might find the collection useful.

Thanks to IHF for submitting this: in this UK Independent story, thousands of seriously ill men from coal-mine related respiratory problems are struggling to receive compensation before dying. I share their frustration not only from the delays the government is causing, but also from the apparent lack of outrage over this - these men sacrificed their health and lives on a daily basis just to support their families. Where is the respect we owe them?

In his article, Matthias Matussek tells us of misandry and women's "identity problem." He also explains how togetherness will not be achieved unless men are viewed as equals also. This quote sums up the purpose of the article better than I could: "In short: when the sucking-dry of men stops being a generally accepted society game" is when things will begin to improve for both men and women. You may read the article here.

This Boston Globe article discusses the decline of male enrollment at universities, but after reading it in its entirety I have to wonder why it is people are concerned about it. Several college women were interviewed about the problem, and all of them complained that it was simply "hard to meet guys" on campus (*ahem* - and have them pay for dates?). Also, toward the end of the story, the decline of "testosterone" and "male violence" is also seen as a welcome result of the larger percentage of women on campus. The misleading "men = violence" equation is at work again.

This is just a reminder for everyone in the USA that democracy only works if we take part in it. Although this hasn't been a great election from the standpoint of men's issues, there are still many reasons to cast your vote and help influence the future of this country. Please, get to the polls today and stick your vote in the ballot box!

Rand submitted this link to an Ottawa Citizen story. It's about a new domestic violence bill that completely blew my mind. Under the new law, a woman accusing a man of violence (in marriage or dating relationships) will automatically be transferred ownership of all of the man's property, a restraining order will be enacted, and all this can be done without informing the man first. You've got to read it to believe it.

Good news on the fatherhood front - more men are trying for custody and winning (albeit with king sized legal fees). This article from the
UK Sunday Times tells us how fathers are starting to win high profile cases. What really gets me though, is how society devalues men's unique style of parenting (which is practical), and thinks women's style of parenting (which is emotional) is inherently better. I mean, how is a man who provides a house and a monthly income (practical parenting) for his wife and kids not considered a primary or equal caregiver?