Worldwide neomasculinity meetups have been officially canceled by the self-titled pickup artist who originally organized them.
Blogger Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh said he canceled the meetups because he couldn't "guarantee the safety or privacy of the men" interested in participating.
Initially, 165 of the men-only meetings were planned in 43 countries. After publicizing the semi-secret meeting locations, public backlash started. Then, the meetings were turned private. As of Thursday, they were canceled.
Roosh V's been in the spotlight after posting a blog last year titled "How to Stop Rape" that called for rape to be legalized if done on private property. While he's since said he doesn't advocate rape and that the post was satire, critics say he's promoted violence against women.
According to the Roosh V website, the community beliefs of neomasculinity include: "A woman's value significantly depends on her fertility and beauty. A man's value significantly depends on his resources, intellect, and character."
Now, people on social media are calling it ironic that men with these beliefs would feel unsafe.
The cancellation comes after several petitions in multiple countries were started against Roosh V. One had over 80,000 signatures.
This story includes an image from Bartek Kucharczyk / CC BY SA 4.0.
