Earlier this week, I wrote about what a crappy start to the year it’s been as a feminist. Victim blaming, policing women’s bodies, reduced sentences for serious domestic violence offenders, the way we talk about male perpetrators in the media and the eye-rolling from other women when sexist behaviour is called out.

Only 2 weeks in and it’s been a rough year! And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I read that Real Social Dynamics are back in town. Does that name ring a bell? Let me refresh your memory. This is the group who employ the likes of Julien Blanc (who was summarily booted out of Australia in 2014) to teach men how to ‘pick up’ women, employing charming techniques like choking them or calling them whores.

I spent some time nauseously browsing the Real Social Dynamics websites and videos and nothing seems to have changed. Women are “bitches” to be tricked into sleeping with men. We aren’t human beings of equal value to men in the Real Social Dynamics world- we are prizes, referred to by “scores” and everyone is hunting their “perfect 10”. The idea is to get women to beg to sleep with you by acting like a fucking jerk. Does this shit really work on anyone? And who are the guys paying to attend these seminars??

If you are a guy who wants to go (assuming protesters don’t get this entire organisation booted and banned) to one of these seminars, who reads this drivel and thinks that de-humanising and abusing women is a way to meet someone, then I can bloody well see why you’re single. We live in a country where women are killed every week due to domestic violence. Where women are routinely hospitalised with brain injuries inflicted by partners. Where violence against women is one of the leading causes of homelessness. Where 1 in 5 Australian women, since the age of 15, has experienced sexual violence. Please, do not spend your money on seminars to teach you how to perpetuate this toxic culture. Your future relationship partners will thank you. And even if you never meet your “perfect 10” or whatever, you can rest easy at night knowing you aren’t a terrible person who lined the pockets of the ratbags that encourage men to abuse women and try to manipulate them into sleeping with them.

If you want to have a say about this lot entering the country despite our apparently strong stance on this with Real Social Dynamics’s Julien, why not write a nice email or ring the office of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton? Or Minister for Women, Michaelia Cash?  I’m just gonna leave these details here:

Peter Dutton:

minister@border.gov.au OR (02) 6277 7860

Michaelia Cash:

Email here via this form OR (02) 6277 7320

And maybe add your name to this petition?

So, because I’m tired of stuff happening that makes my femmo head implode, I decided that a bit of feminist cheer is what was needed, and what better way to smash the patriarchy than with some free feminist merch? With that in mind, I’m giving away a mug from my store!

Click here to see the full range– these are the designs the winner can choose from:

Entering is easy! Sign up below with your email address.

The winner will get the mug of their choice. Entering means you agree to sign up for the HandbagMafia mailing list.  This means when there is a new post here, you’ll get it emailed, with a 100% no spam guarantee! I will contact the winner via the email address they provide. I’ll draw it on January 21st, 2016. Good luck!

N.B- You should get a confirmation email- it may go to your junk folder, so keep an eye out!

#FYBF @ With Some Grace