Collectif Masculin Centre le Sexisme/Masculine Collective against Sexism
Organization profile published 1983
Year Published: 1983
Resource Type: Organization
Cx Number: CX2882
Abstract:
CMCS is a bilingual, non-profit, collectively-run profeminist group organizing men into active anti-sexist work along current feminist endeavous. The group strives to expose and counter male oppression of women and masculine attempts to reinforce patriarchy by appropriating women's rights and power over children.
A position paper issued by the COLLECTIVE in November 1981 states that:
- "men's silence and inaction with regard to sexism constitute an implicit acceptance and perpetuation of gender inequality;
- sexism is unjustifiable, unjustified and must cease;
- men can and must support the women's liberation struggle, despite the responsibility of sexism and the
material benefits they still draw from it;
- malehood is not a myth, it is the situation of an oppressor, more or less conscious of this attitudes, and we
expect nothing from any 'male liberation movement's passing off as a 'role' the daily exercise of powers;
and
- men and women have everything to gain from the defeat of sexism and of the powers associated with patriarchy."
The COLLECTIVE offers child care to women's groups and feminist events. It does research, translates and circulates to lawyers, feminists and progressive journalists data and feminist analyses of male violence against women (rape, porm, incest, battering, sexual harassment, non-contraception, denial of reproductive rights and the Father's Rightsl lobby). Members discuss feminist films with the male segment of mixed audiences. They have produced and distribute a 35-min. video documentary on pornography as hate propaganda, and fight sexist ads, advertisers and 'pronocrats' at every level. The purpose is to contribute to all forms of struggle against male oppression of women which members see as traceable to self-interest (Delphy, McKinnon, Dworkin) rather than to sex roles (the conditioning line). The COLLECTIVE also highlights feminist plays and publications in wide audience community media and pressures "alternative" political movements to priorize a feminist analysis and caucus. CMCS distributes and extensive amount of literature in French and English and is open to networking. New members are welcome.
This organization no longer exists.
This abstract was published in the Connexions Digest in 1983.
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