Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little bit tired of the relentless campaign against men which is masquerading thinly under the banner of preventing toxic masculinity. This movement seeks to postulate that young men, in their hearts, are all toxic domestic violence offenders in waiting. The idea that masculinity is toxic is all too frequently raised by the simps of the corporate world and the automatons of the commentariat—the political scene. Now, even more alarmingly, it's being raised in our educational settings.

In some instances we've seen reports of male students being asked to stand and apologise to women as a symbolic gesture for past behaviours by members of their gender that have caused harm or offence. What do you think this is going to do to young men? Is it any wonder they're looking for refuge online? Weighing down boys with collective guilt and negativity is divisive and counterproductive.

Men are increasingly being demonised and attacked by those more intent on winning gender wars than peacefully co-existing. Masculinity isn't inherently violent. It isn't inherently toxic. No man, young or old, should feel ashamed of being male, nor should they be weighed down by the sins of a small few.