Proposed SFU men’s centre met with resistance from Communist group

A proposal by the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) to establish a men’s centre at Simon Fraser University (SFU) is being met with resistance. The Young Communist League of Canada has officially spoken out against the idea, saying that men do not face systemic barriers and do not need a safe space.

“There is a Women’s Centre on campus,” says Young Communist League of Canada British Columbia provincial treasurer Erin Searle. “Its goal is in part ‘to struggle against all forms of oppression and demand justice’. Over the years, the Women’s Centre has been a positive space on campus and a force for fighting misogyny and racism. The Women’s Centre is positive because it addresses systemic gender-based barriers facing women in society.”

Searle says the difference between a women’s centre and a men’s centre is that men do not face systemic gender-based barriers in today’s society. Searle points to inequities in the workplace as an example of this, pointing out that men still make more than women and men still hold a large majority of the provincial legislature and federal parliament.

“The SFSS is advancing a confused perspective on the role of both feminism and the student movement,” says Searle.

But SFSS university relations officer Jeff McCann doesn’t agree. The two see eye on eye on women’s groups being important, but McCann says that women’s groups often point at men on the other side of the issue at hand instead of working with them.

“What we aim to do with the men’s centre is to engage men in topics such as these, rather than talking around men,” he says. “Women’s groups will benefit from men talking about gender equality, I don’t know how they [The Young Communist League of Canada] miss the positives of that. There will not be any single focus of programming, which is why the centre needs to stand autonomous.”

McCann says the SFSS has actually received lots of positive support from around North America for the men’s centre. The positive support hasn’t been as publicly vocal as the opposition, which is why it seems like there’s a lot of controversy surrounding the men’s centre. Still, McCann (who hadn’t seen a copy of the press release the Communist League sent out explaining their opposition to the men’s centre until Nexus provided him with one) says that there have been some people speaking against it.

“I did not realize this amount of controversy would surround the men’s centre,” he says. “I thought that society was at a point to accept and recognize that people face different challenges in life and need support to face those challenges. Men are no different. Having said that, we have had large positive support from across North America. The media is really creating its own controversy by up-playing the negative comments.”

At Camosun College, Elizabeth Morris, the Camosun College Student Society’s women’s director, says she is in support of the centre.

“I am a humanist,” she says. “I believe in equality and equal opportunity for all people, regardless of how they identify themselves. That being said, if the need is there and the want is legitimate, I strongly endorse the development of a men’s centre.”

As for the Communist League’s press release, McCann says that the sentiments displayed in it exemplify a larger societal problem.

“In terms of the press release, they recognize that men face many issues but don’t think there should be a place for dialogue and community around these issues,” he says. “That attitude is part of the problem in society. I believe that this place should exist, and that it is nobody’s right to deny men of a service that many experts and students believe to be a valuable idea.”

The SFSS says that a men’s centre is a beneficial idea in part because men struggle with issues such as alcoholism and suicide. The Young Communist League of Canada, however, disputes that these problems result from gender and that counselling systems should be put in place instead of a men’s centre.

Searle says that if the SFSS really wants to help students, it should be focusing its energy and resources elsewhere.

“If the SFSS leadership wants to serve its membership it should increase funding to the Women’s Centre or organize campaigns against racism and misogyny,” says Searle.

Meanwhile, McCann hopes that the proposed men’s centre will move forward and feels it’s a great opportunity.

“I don’t pretend to be an expert on men’s issues or health,” he says, “but I can create a platform for building community and dialogue amongst men about men’s issues.”