Advocacy
General
- Don't bother debating with feminists
- They may or may not be open to alternative viewpoints but it doesn't really matter
- Bypass them and advocate to people who are yet to commit to one side or the other, the media and politicians
- Men, because they are the ones at risk now
- The media, because they still have access to a large audience
- Politicians because they are the ones who can change the laws
- Talk to feminists but speak to the audience
Debating
- Always take the high ground when debating
- Stick to the facts
- If you can't back it up, don't say it
- Never ever make personal attacks
- If someone makes a personal attack against you state clearly that they have done this and that it is unacceptable
- When someone makes a personal attack they are conceding their opponent's point
- If they could attack the argument on merit they would be better off doing so
- Better to say nothing than to get personal
- Remember, undecided people are lurking
- If you say that someone is wrong you need to back it up, ideally with multiple sources
- If you are expressing an opinion make it clear that it is an opinion
- Don't draw parallels between different sorts of discrimination
- Such comparisons are often very complex and make a poor basis for analogy
- They can result in the conversation spiralling off-topic
- Don't give them anything to attack you on except the facts
- If you make a mistake, admit it and move on
- Don't exaggerate
- If your argument has a weakness or limitation admit it.
- Bonus points if you admit it in public. One day someone will try to call you out on it and you can point out that you have publicly admitted the problem.
- Never apologise, it only emboldens them.
- Don't let them control the narrative.
Examples
Good
- Talking about education failing boys (with data)
- Negating partiarchy
- Negating rape culture
- Negating feminist claims to advocate for equality
Bad
- Claiming hypergamy is proven