International Conference on Men's Issues (2018)

Paul Elam and I wish to consider applications to host the 2019 International Conference on Men’s Issues, in June or July 2019. It won’t be held in the UK, as it was held in London in 2016 and will be held there again shortly. If you have a potential interest in hosting the event, please email me ([email protected]) to register your interest before the end of July. The primary requirement is a venue with a room capable of seating a minimum of 200 people in comfort, and one or more other rooms for breakouts, refreshments, meals etc. There needs to be an airport within reasonable distance, for the speakers and many attendees who fly to attend ICMIs. Thank you.

On 1 June 2016 I obstructed the highway in Parliament Square, London, for a short time, as part of a protest against the police/CPS not prosecuting the people who perform Male Genital Mutilation, a crime under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, being at least ABH, and almost certainly GBH with Intent. A video of the protests outside the Home Office and in Parliament Square is here. The start of the section in which I was in the road is at 5:37. A policeman moved me out of the road at 9:22, and again at 13:37. I was subsequently arrested and kept in solitary detention in a police cell until the scheduled end of the protest, some hours later.

The CPS/police prosecuted me for obstructing the public highway – ironically, given my protest in the highway had related to the CPS/police not prosecuting the real criminals, those carrying out MGM. I was convicted and fined at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court, supporters generously covered my fine and CPS-related. A later appeal at Isleworth Crown Court was unsuccessful, but I have yet to pay the CPS costs for that hearing, because I appealed to the Royal Courts of Justice, in London. That hearing was held yesterday. My thanks to a number of supporters for joining me, including Tom for taking this video (2:08).

In the video I publicly declared for the first time my decision to launch a private prosecution of an unnamed doctor who performs circumcisions. This will take place next month.

I have drawn no personal income from J4MB income streams (party memberships, subscriptions, donations, merchandise sales etc.) since launching the party in 2013. I am personally liable to pay the CPS’s costs at the original appeal at Isleworth Crown Court (£580) and this latest appeal (£2,420), a total of £3,000.

If you feel able to donate something to help me with those costs, I’d be very grateful. Please make your donation through PayPal here.

The money will go into the J4MB account, the party treasurer will then transfer the money to me. If there’s any surplus over £3,000, it will remain in the J4MB account to help fund the party’s future work.

Please email me ([email protected]) to confirm that your donation is to help defray my legal costs.

Thanks for your support.

P.S. 63 minutes until the start of England’s next game, in the World Cup semi-final, against Croatia. If we win, that means England v France in the final. It’s coming home.

We’ve just heard from Brendon Marotta, director of American Circumcision. He apologises for now being unable to attend in person. Steven Svoboda will run the Q&A session after the film.

A couple of days ago we heard from Belinda Brown, a scheduled speaker at the conference, that she would not be able to give her talk. She writes:

Belinda’s beloved husband Geoff Dench has recently passed away. Although her husband has always been a great supporter of her work, and she knows he would love her to speak at the conference, Belinda fears that owing to the demands of funeral arrangements and so on she will not have her speech ready in time for the conference. Geoff was the author of “Transforming Men; Changing Patterns of Dependency and Dominance in Gender Relations” and the ideas contained in Geoff’s book strongly underpin Belinda’s own. Belinda strongly recommends reading it if you haven’t already. Please note the title of the book was not Geoff’s!

Our thoughts are with Belinda at this difficult time.

Elizabeth Hobson, our Director of Communications, has kindly agreed to step into the breech. Her talk will be titled, “Activating the Non-Feminist Sector”.

On 1 June, 2016, I was arrested in Parliament Square for (allegedly) obstructing the public highway during a protest about the CPS / police not prosecuting the criminals who carry out Male Genital Mutilation on male minors, a crime under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. My thanks to Ewan Jones and Mike P for the video (14:52) they recorded in Parliament Square and, earlier in the day, outside the Home Office (the department to which the police report).

The CPS decided to bring a prosecution for obstructing the highway, and despite a very solid defence (thanks to our legal advisor, Ian) I was convicted by a female judge at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court. I appealed to Isleworth Crown Court, where a male judge declined to overturn the conviction. So I appealed to the High Court, based in The Strand, London (photo at the top of this post).

I recently heard that my appeal will be heard by two judges on 10 July, 2018 – 10 days before the start of the conference. A few supporters have said they’ll join me in support, It would be good to have more, with people holding placards, handing out leaflets etc. I shall learn the court number and the time of the hearing at 14:30 on Monday. Please contact me ([email protected]) if you think you’ll be able to join us. Thanks.

A tip of the hat to Alison for this (video, 23:10). With two days to go, donations to the Honey Badger Radio fundraiser have reached 64% of the CAN$13,950 target. Please donate what you can here. Thank you.

The conference is just three weeks away (20-22 July). On the second afternoon there will be a screening of the award-winning new film American Circumcision, in the presence of the director, Brendon Marotta. A trailer is here (1:57).