Controversial men’s rights conference canceled at DoubleTree in downtown Detroit

June 11, 201493 CommentsRead More

Photos by Steve Neavling

A controversial conference for a men’s rights group in Detroit appears to be in jeopardy after a fallout with downtown’s Hilton DoubleTree, which planned to host the event from June 26-28.

The inaugural conference at the DoubleTree has been canceled for unknown reasons, and organizers of the first International Conference on Men’s Issues haven’t said yet whether it will be moved to another hotel and conference center.

“At this time, they are not booked with us,” Larry Brown, manager of the DoubleTree, said this morning. He declined to elaborate on the cancelation.

The event has provoked outrage among opponents of the Men’s Rights Movement, which has been labeled as a troublesome group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its staunch anti-feminism.

About 200 protesters gathered outside the DoubleTree on Saturday to demand that the hotel cancel the event.

When asked Tuesday whether the event would be moved, an organizer responded: “The DoubleTree GM (general manager) actually said that he has ‘feminist phobia’ and sort of laughed but in a nervous way. So its being discussed.”

It’s questionable whether this conversation ever occurred because the general manager is a woman.

The event’s organizer, a Voice for Men, claims boys and men are oppressed by irrational feminists. The group also accuses women of exaggerating the severity of rape and denounces “the institution of marriage as unsafe and unsuitable for modern men.”

Organizers of the demonstration amassed more than 3,000 signatures from opponents of the conference.

Check back for updates.

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

Teflon Expat

Awww, all out of cutesy ‘thank yous?’
Julie Jive

Thank you, protesters, for all of your hard work and commitment in keeping this hate group from convening in our Detroit! There were NO death threats made, WHATSOEVER. Thank you Steve Neavling for your report. “Keep your HATE out of our STATE”!
- Teflon Expat
  
  Thank you ‘protestors’ for your hard work with them Sharpies and cardboard and bedsheets and such. The ‘hate group’ was run off due to such hideous signs and in two weeks AVfM will arrive all spiffy and ready to go.
- fools2234
  
  So a peaceful conference to discuss these issues:
  
  http://www.cultural-misandry.com/mens-rights/
  
  Is labeled a “hate group” by manhating feminists who do not want those issues discussed.
  
  Also its ironic that a group of people (feminists) who send death threats and promise violence to hotel staff are trying to call others a “hate group”.
  
  Address your own hate before attempting to call out others.
- Stephen Jones
  
  No, death threats were really made… I doubt that they were credible death threats, but you never know.
  One of the speakers, Erin Pizzey (Founder of the international women’s shelter movement), has been through this in the past, and although the threats may not have seemed credible, feminists did manage to get close enough to shoot her dog.
  So even if the threats don’t seem credible this time, there is always a chance.
  - Mukundray
    
    Erin Pizzey is a staunch anti-feminist who lived in a conservative rural area (where roaming dogs are shot at regularly) and her dog according to her was shot and survived. She then subsequently blamed feminists with no evidence.
    
    The supposed death threats at the hotel are also somewhat shady as the hotel owner and staff were unaware of them and no report was filed with the Detroit PD (so there will be no police investigation). The only evidence of the threats (supposed redacted letter from the hotel) has been taken down from the ‘A Voice For Men’ site after they used it to milk 25K in donations from their userbase.
    - Mike Hunt
      
      Erin Pizzey founded the fist women’s shelter in England.
      
      She must really hate women.
    - Teflon Expat
      
      Milked in 22 hours! That really burns, huh? Feminists hate being caught off guard like that as it demonstrates how much they are hated
      - Mukundray
        
        Manufactured outrage is a lucrative business for AVfM.
- Mike Hunt
  
  Feminist definition of “Hate”: People saying things that question my privilege.
  - Teflon Expat
    
    And getting others to believe its about hate in order to garner sympathy and support. Its adult crybabyism.
- Julie Jive
  
  Men should have GOOD SUPPORT GROUPS. This group, “A Voice for Men” is clearly a HATE GROUP. Their actions speak for themselves.
  - Teflon Expat
    
    Of course that support group is feminism. Yep.
    What ‘actions’ exactly? Booking a hotel?
  - Mike Hunt
    
    What actions? The one’s in your ignorant imagination?
Guest

Thank you, Protestors, for all of your commitment to keeping this hate group out of our city.
- Teflon Expat
  
  Thank you ‘protestors’ for your efforts that tripled our conference size, cost us more food budget and a more costly conference space a few blocks away.
  –AVfM
- fools2234
  
  You do know the conference isnt cancelled right? They are moving it, but thanks for the expose and even more revealing of the hate that feminists hold for half the population.
  - Teflon Expat
    
    It is feminists vs men. Not women vs men. FACT
    - tecumseh
      
      actually, it’s humanity versus all you nimrods
      - Teflon Expat
        
        Desperately wanting that to be true does not make it so. Feminists have a real negative image in this nation
- Mike Hunt
  
  I am certain that 99% of the dumbfucks parroting the “hate group” line have never even read anything on AVFM that wasn’t passed through the Futrelle Filter first.
  - Teflon Expat
    
    The US is one big feminist hate group
Guest

THANK YOU for not supporting this event!
- Teflon Expat
  
  Thank you for stopping the outrageous freaked-out behavior and leaving us alone.
  –The Doubletree
fools2234

We are “controversial” but feminists are the one making death threats and doing everything they can (as some of these pics show) to censor speech they hate (mens issue talk).

Media never calls them out tho. Disgusting
- Teflon Expat
  
  Cant blame media. Media operates out of large buildings, also known as ‘targets’ in femspeak. Media has Sharpie & Signboard phobia and that is the ONLY reason feminists can bellow and screech with impunity. Everyone just rolls eyes, waits it out and prays for heavy rain.
- tecumseh
  
  1. go to bookstore
  2. buy dictionary
  3. look up censorship
  4. stfu
  - Teflon Expat
    
    stfu is all that feminists ever wanted from MRAs. That is it. That didn’t happen and alas, here we are.
    - tecumseh
      
      right, but see, telling someone STFU isnt censorship. (see above)
  - Mike Hunt
    
    HAHA.
    
    THE IRONNEEEZZZ
Teflon Expat

Its the butt-hurt vicious cycle. Feminists were butt-hurt for years due to the MRAs. Then they got more butt-hurt as the MRAs grew in number. So they attacked the MRAs thus leading to more MRAs and more butt-hurt feminists. Then they street-protested the MRAs who strategically turned the protest against the feminists and now they are hyper-butt-hurt. How much more can that butt take?
Bingalls

Excellent news. Congratulations to the protest organizers and attendees. A great event with a satisfying conclusion.
- Kimski
  
  Alas, all that protesting was an exercise in futility.
  But I agree on the satisfying conclusion, and I’m sure it will be a great event. Thanks, btw!
  - Teflon Expat
    
    But highly entertaining. So thats something. No?
  - tecumseh
    
    yeah let us know when the event is actually rescheduled.
    - Teflon Expat
      
      Location too? The Sharpies are on us!
Teflon Expat

Feminists say: “Yay, look at what we did…but uh oh, how does that really make us look”
Guest

Mmmmm, let me see the man-tears flow in this comment section. I only wish I could taste the despair.
- Teflon Expat
  
  Tears of joy! This is the worst PR for feminists ever! You’re officially invited to the event in Detroit. Would you like the address now or on the day the event starts?
  - Guest
    
    If your opinions are so disgusting that you have to hide in the shadows because the marketplace of ideas has rejected you, perhaps there ought to be a reconsideration.
    - Teflon Expat
      
      You’re still invited. Free snacks at every event. That should do it, huh?
      - G Trieste
        
        Free beer would do it.
    - Stephen Jones
      
      Who’s hiding in the shadows? You’ve even been personally invited.
      Is this going to turn into another situation where people in ski masks start yelling “we can see through your disguise!” at people who are making no attempt to conceal their identity whatsoever?
http://www.markhoustonphotography.com/ mthouston

Steve are you covering up feminist terrorism?
- Teflon Expat
  
  Other articles that are going national certainly do expose it.
  - http://www.markhoustonphotography.com/ mthouston
    
    Got any links? I would be interested in reading them.
MattMihaly

Men’s rights groups are such a joke. Are they upset that men dominate every single facet of commercial, military, and political leadership in America? Is that the oppression they feel?
- Teflon Expat
  
  Sadly, it is a very small number of men who dominate in such a way. That is known as the apex fallacy.
- mb1957@hotmail.co.uk
  
  Yeah, and they dominate suicide, homelessness, they’re denied access to kids after relationship breakdowns, victims of domestic violence with no support, workplace deaths, poorly-paid ‘glass cellar’ jobs, victims of circumcision, war deaths and injuries, males are in a minority in further education… in our party manifesto we cover 20 areas where the British state assaults the human rights of men and boys, it doesn’t assault the human rights of women and girls in even one. I’m told things are just as bad in the US.
  I look forward to speaking at this event – the first international conference on men’s issues – whenever and wherever it’s rescheduled. A Voice for Men http://avoiceformen.com are doing a GREAT job in raising public consciousness, and I recommend you check out the website. They have the full support of our political party.
  Mike Buchanan
  JUSTICE FOR MEN & BOYS
  (and the women who love them)
  http://j4mb.org.uk
- fools2234
  
  22,000 word list of mens rights issues:
  
  http://www.cultural-misandry.com/mens-rights/
  
  Inform yourself u ignoramus
  - tecumseh
    
    all I see is a bunch of complaints about rape laws. Apparently they offer women too much protection against unwanted sexual encounters. Poor oppressed rapists.
    
    sickening
- Stephen Jones
  
  If you think it’s nothing but a joke, then don’t worry about it. Let the conference carry on unimpeded… it’s just a harmless joke anyways, right?
  I suspect, however, that you are being disingenuous in that statement. I suspect you believe it is not a joke at all, but you are attempting to belittle it rather than engage in any sort of meaningful dialogue.
  
  Am I wrong? Do you really view men’s rights as a joke?
  - tecumseh
    
    what it is is a dangerous ignorant backlash against women’s equality by men with castration fears, pissed that their 8000 years of privilege is coming to an end.
    
    so it’s a joke, yes, but not a very funny one
    - Stephen Jones
      
      It has nothing do do with taking rights away from women. It’s about equal treatment for all people.
      Don’t take my word for it, attend the conference and find out what these guys are talking about for yourself.
      Unless, that is, you are afraid of having your misconceptions shattered.
      - Teflon Expat
        
        Its the feminist monopoly on controlling the dialog and therefore the politics that is being shattered
    - Teflon Expat
      
      what it is is a dangerous ignorant backlash against feminism.
      
      FIFY
Chiquitobot

This article is typical of media covering up feminists terrorism. It’s a known fact that death threats were made and yet not one mention of it here. Just know that you’re Skeev Skeevling the terrorist sympathizer.
- Auntie Alias
  
  The only source for that “fact” is AVFM.
  - Kimski
    
    Oh, look! It’s Auntie Dismiss Ridicule Obfuscate!
    Prepare for some vintage cognitive dissonance, people!
  - mb1957@hotmail.co.uk
    
    You need to check out the AVfM blog post which has the Hilton letter asking for $25,000 for eight armed policeman around the clock, and other costs. Sum raised by AVfM in an online fundraiser in just 22 hours.
    Are you so IQ-challenged as to think the event won’t go ahead now, albeit at another location, or that the determination of vicious radfems to halt discussions of men’s legitimate issues won’t make this a huge PR coup for the MHRM? If so… WOW!
    - Teflon Expat
      
      Its all going AS PLANNED but not for the radfems. Oh that aptitude gap is a bee atch
    - tecumseh
      
      men’s “legitimate” issues. LMFAO
      
      oh, you got issues alright
  - Mike Hunt
    
    Hello David Futrelle, how are you today?
    - Teflon Expat
      
      Butt hurt?
Teflon Expat

Scaring a hotel that feared for the safety of its guests is a feminist ‘equality’ victory. The press across America will be sure to note that today. Furthermore, any attempt by feminists to control the dialogue by suddenly wanting to address men’s issues will be seen as a disingenuous face-saving measure.
Chiquitobot

Great Article Skeev Skeevling!
knightrunner

Thanks feminists for your hard work. Our conference had outgrown the space made available to is by the doubletree. Now we are free to hold our conference in a place that can seat many more people. Thank you.
- knightrunner
  
  I don’t blame the Doubletree for canceling. We have seen how violent feminist become when men try to speak up for their rights. Violence and vandalism seems to be the go to tactic for feminists around the world.
http://www.avoiceformen.com/ Dean Esmay

“The event’s organizer, a Voice for Men, claims boys and men are oppressed by irrational feminists.”

Also a gross oversimplification.

Garrh, I wish I could get off the phone. Will try this afternoon.
- Guest
  
  All you MRA’s should immediately question Dean Esmay and others what they’re going to do with your $25k in donations that they have for “added security” which also seems to be a farce.
  - Kimski
    
    Coke and prostitutes, what else?
    We’re all invited to the party, btw., but you have to be an MRA yourself.
    - Teflon Expat
      
      Including “Guest” so skip the hoz.
    - Auntie Alias
      
      You might consider donating to fix Dean’s Broken Tooth of Misandry.
      - Kimski
        
        I think he’d be happier if we had you committed, to be honest.
      - Teflon Expat
        
        That wouldn’t even cover the first year food bill at the institution
  - Teflon Expat
    
    The MRAs are only questioning your ability to continue the non-stop hissy fit tirade that is leading nowhere near anything initially planned when that cutesy petition was first put on line
    - Kimski
      
      Oh, you mean the petition the DoubleTree wouldn’t even accept, when they tried to hand it over, right?
      I would have payed a substantial amount of money to be a fly on the wall right there.
      - Teflon Expat
        
        Security cameras captured it
Teflon Expat

Due to threats received by the hotel shortly after an online petition that was subsequently followed up with an aggressive protest by feminists and union socialists carrying violently-worded signs, the hotel management and staff felt intimated enough to acquiesce and cancel the event.
- muckraker_steve
  
  Thanks for the update. Would love to add this to the official story but I’m not sure of your real name or affiliation with the group. Could you please call me at 586-219-0694? Thanks.
  - http://www.avoiceformen.com/ Dean Esmay
    
    I will call you when I can but an important correction: we were NOT labeled a hate group by the SPLC. This is a frequently-repeated lie; the SPLC specifically stated in no uncertain terms they never called us a hate group.
    
    I will be available later this afternoon.
    - Guest
      
      No, they said MRA’s are not a hate group in general. But AVfM very much was a haven for hate.
      - Teflon Expat
        
        Feminist hate…and the problem is?
      - mb1957@hotmail.co.uk
        
        Absolute nonsense. I’ve followed the site closely for two years and have never once encountered any hatred towards women – unless you call exposing the narratives of lying hate-driven feminist ideologues, hatred in return? I don’t, any more than exposing the narratives of racists would legitimately be considered hatred.
        AVfM have many female contributors of videos, articles etc., and a number will be speaking at the conference.
      - tecumseh
        
        making it harder to prosecute rapists isnt hatred for women? It sure aint love.
      - Kimski
        
        1. Go to bookstore.
        2. Buy dictionary.
        3. Look up difference between ideology and gender.
        4. Look up ‘use of capital letters’.
        5. STFU.
  - fools2234
    
    Why don’t you maybe report on the issues next time too instead of making us look like radicals:
    
    http://www.cultural-misandry.com/mens-rights/
    - tecumseh
      
      because the issues only exist in your vagina-phobic brain
      - Kimski
        
        -said the feminist..LOL!
- http://www.avoiceformen.com/ Dean Esmay
  
  We were never declared a hate group by SPLC. SPLC did a generalized report on “misogyny” and noted that they found some of our rhetoric “troubling” while also noting that we appeared to have some legitimate issues. That is not even close to the same thing as calling us a hate group.
- ronj1955
  
  what are violently worded signs? Were they written violently or did the words physically attack someone?
  - Teflon Expat
    
    Did any words on the AVfM site physically attack someone? Oh that equality thing…
- tecumseh
  
  violently worded signs…such as….?

Controversial men’s rights conference canceled at DoubleTree in downtown Detroit

Steve Neavling

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