THESE MEN HAVE SWORN OFF SEX WITH WOMEN

These men have sworn off sex with women

Tens of thousands of men have formed a real-life online community called MGTOW, or Men Going Their Own Way. Their first rule?

Abandoning all romantic relationships with women. On Reddit alone, some 15,000 readers are subscribed to the MGTOW page which declares it is for “men going our own way by forging our own identities and paths to self-defined success; cutting through collective ideas of what a man is.“

Other websites including MGTOW.com are also dedicated to what they see as each man's fight for sovereignty of himself. And despite their hatred for women, homosexuality isn't accepted, either. Posts on the Reddit page offer an insight into their world: They range from worrying that future sex bots will be hacked by central government, to encouraging men to divorce their wives. They also debate how “even men in Hollywood“ are “cuckold ed“ and wronged by women.

The more you scroll, the darker it becomes. One recent post described how women “fake orgasms often, because it makes men more submissive“.Another talked of “ditching“ his “blue pill friends“. Others proudly declare that they are still virgins. “I want sex and company , but I don't wantcan't put in the effort to get it,“ wrote another user on the MGTOW.com forum.

The MGTOW community has a pretty clear set of expectations for themselves and the wider world that are based in meninism: a counteraction to feminism which sees women's rights directly disadvan tage men.

While feminists might argue that their movement aims to help both men and women break free of harmful gender stereotypes, meninists disagree.

To them, men are the victims of heterosexual relationships, compa rable to a horse with a cart strapped it its back. MGTOWs borrow heavily from pop-culture to explain their beliefs, particularly the film The Matrix where the Chosen One chooses to reject his blinkered “blue pill“ life in favour of the awareness offered by the “red pill“.

The ultimate goal for MGTOWs is total freedom from societal constraints -known as level four.

“Level 0“ involves “taking the red pill“ and recognising gender equality is a sham. Level one sees a man rejecting long-term relationships but engaging in sexual encounters, which he will reject in level two.

As the MGTOW movement is entangled with alt-right and libertarian politics, the third step sees the man focusing on earning money in order to sustain himself.

Their heroes? The so-called herbivore men of Japan who have no interest in finding long-term female partner.

(toi)