Earl Silverman Memorial Day
Last may, after reading the story of Earl Silverman, I made sure to mark today’s date on my calendar.
Earl Silverman was a notable men’s rights activist in Canada, who chose to speak out about the legal injustices men can face. A survivor of domestic abuse himself, Silverman realized just how biased courts, shelters, and helplines are when it comes to domestic violence. He was quoted saying:
“When I went into the community looking for some support services, I couldn’t find any. There were a lot for women, and the only programs for men were for anger management. As a victim, I was re-victimized by having these services telling me that I wasn’t a victim, but I was a perpetrator.”
Silverman decided he could best support men by opening Canada’s first domestic abuse shelter for men. He fought for funding from the government and was denied on the basis that his shelter was “sexist”. Civil and criminal suits all proved futile – the government simply refused to hear his cause. Silverman tried everything, including threatening a judge to get a court hearing in which he would be able to address the problem. However, the prosecution dropped the case when they realized what his true motives were.
After all his legal fronts failed, Silverman opened a shelter out of his own home and funded it out of his pocket and through private donates. In the months it was opened, his shelter MASH (the Men’s Alternative Safe House) assisted over 20 men, some of whom had children. Eventually, Silverman ran out of funding and had to close his shelter. One month later, on April 26, 2013, he was found dead in his garage. His death was ruled a suicide.
Silverman’s death brought upon significant amounts of politics, with feminists and MRA’s both making accusations surrounding blame and fault. These arguments are pointless. SIlverman was a man who dedicated his life toward helping other men who were in terrible situations. His plight likely saved lives, and his death is remembered by thousands of people who have made it their mission to pick up where he left off. Many people who were close to him believe that his suicide was not a product of depression. Rather, it was his last hope to bring attention to the issues he spoke about. In that, he did succeed.
So this April 26, let us honor a man who gave up so much to help others,and assist in seeing his dream becoming a reality.
I titled this post Earl Silverman Memorial day, but I believe it would be more appropriate to mark today in honor of all men who survive sexual assault and domestic abuse. Men like Earl and those he helped.
Thank the men in your life today, and think about those who have been harmed by the stereotypes and stigmas that surround their well-being. We can fix this. We can make sure no other person has to go to the same lengths as Earl to protect male victims.
