It seems that the focus on the Corona Virus has shut down government activity but that doesn’t mean that it shuts down our political activism. Indeed, the fact that many legislators and their staff are sheltering in place means that we may be able to reach them through electronic means, social media and email, and the old reliable snail mail may be an option also. And since we are ALL sheltering in place we all have the time to advocate for reform of the anti male, anti father, anti parent, anti children and family system.
Might I suggest that each person take a topic or two, get well read on it, and focus on lobbying for change on that? For example shared parenting at the state level brings us equal parental rights under state law and the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act would give us equal parental rights at the federal level. You can advocate for them both at the same time. You can find information about them and a list of other topics and the level of government to lobby for change at “About NY MAN”. Remember to link to NY MAN and any other sites such as NCFM, or The Coalition to Create a White House Council on Men and Boys in support of your position.
As an incentive to get others to join the advocacy make sure to post your activity on social media sites such as Friends of Protection For Men or Fathers and Family NY (FaFNY) or a state organization in the state you are in. If possible, join a state or national organization which advocates for your topics and work yourself into the grass roots lobbyist for them on that topic. I think you will find many who need an organizer to DO and this will give you a grass roots base for you to represent and also an organization with information on the topic that you are presenting.
As a 25 year fathers rights/men’s rights activist, holding a Bachelors Degree in Family and Society, a leader and life member in many rights organizations I am versed on many topics and I lobby for many but (in addition to NY MAN) I limit myself to comments on Facebook, Fox News, and Epoch News and comment on multiple topics related to the men’s movement as they come up due to time constraints. Most won’t have the breadth of knowledge or the time to lobby on multiple topics across multiple platforms so pick one or two areas of expertise. Advocates should then get on multiple platforms to get the word out and if staying on one or two topics can work on many platforms. By staying on one or two topics you can get well informed and debunk a lot of the false narratives out there.
While memes like the one above are good at pointing to overall problems lobbying is about targeting government in one specific area to foster change. For example, Warren Farrell wants to address bias against men and boys by forming a White House Council and advocates for that. NCFM addresses bias against men and boys by advocating for equality in selective service for men and women. The same objective, bias against men and boys, addressed in two different lobbying areas. National Parents Organization is an example of focusing on one topic, shared parenting, across many platforms at all levels of government.
As most of us are hunkering down remember to take care of both your physical and mental health. I think that advocacy will help with the both as it will sharpen the mind, take your mind off of the crisis for a bit, and provide you some reward for working on behalf of another and helping to alleviate their problems and issues. Pick a topic, pick your platforms, and get to work.
Lastly, I’ll be looking to update NY MAN as some of the information is outdated. I’ll also look to post about my years as founder, President and principal lobbyist for the Coalition of Fathers and Families NY Inc. and the founder and Treasurer of the NY MAN PAC including the specifics of how to lobby NYS Government and what NOT to do based upon my experiences. I hope this sets up the next generation of activists for success as I fade off into retirement.