Suicide prevention group Lifeline is being lobbied to remove controversial feminist Clementine Ford as the keynote speaker of domestic violence awareness forum.
A change.org petition argued her previous tweets saying ‘kill all men’ and ‘all men must die’ made her unsuitable to address the ‘Recognise, Respond, Refer’ event in Melbourne next month.
‘It is extremely important that they remain distant from the hateful comments previously made very loudly and consistently by Ms Ford,’ the petition, which has amassed 399 signatures, said.
Suicide prevention group Lifeline is being lobbied to remove controversial feminist Clementine Ford as the keynote speaker of domestic violence awareness event
A change.org petition argued her previous tweets saying ‘kill all men’ and ‘all men must die’ made her unsuitable to address the ‘Recognise, Respond, Refer’ event in Melbourne in May
‘She MUST be removed from the speaking lineup for the protection of the very people you are funded to support.’
Petition author Adam Smith included screen shots of Ms Ford’s inflammatory tweets and argued she was synonymous with the hashtag, ‘#killallmen’.
‘As Lifeline is a service that is crucial to people experiencing high levels of emotional distress, many of them suicidal over bullying experiences,’ he said.
In October 2015, Clementine Ford tweeted ‘kill all men’ after a woman suggested on Twitter her ‘blind hatred of males’ made it hypocritical of her to be an advocate of equal rights.
One woman questioned how Lifeline could give her a platform, considering many men with mental health problems relied on the service.
‘It’s hard enough for men to call a helpline to talk about how they are feeling,’ she said on the Facebook page of former Labor leader Mark Latham.
‘Now I feel men may not utilise this important lifeline for them.’
Petition author Adam Smith included screen shots of Clementine Ford’s inflammatory tweets and argued she was synonymous with the hashtag, ‘#killallmen’
In October 2015, Clementine Ford tweeted ‘kill all men’ after a woman suggested on Twitter her ‘blind hatred of males’ made it hypocritical of her to be an advocate of equal rights
The author of ‘Fight Like A Girl’ has also previously tweeted ‘I bathe in male tears’ and last year wrote ‘Have you killed any men today? And if not, why not?’ in a book signed for a fan.
Ms Ford, a Fairfax Media columnist, is due to speak at the State Library Victoria on May 29 at the ‘Recognise, Respond, Refer’ forum moderated by former Ten and Sky News presenter Tracey Spicer, who is spearheading the ‘Me Too’ movement against male workplace sexual predators in Australia.
‘Clementine’s number one mission is to speak openly and honestly about the state of the world as we live in it,’ the event organisers said.
‘She hopes to give other women the language and confidence to articulate their own feelings of frustration and anger.’
The event, organised by DV Alert and Lifeline, will explore family violence.
‘”Recognise” the signs of domestic and family violence, “Respond” with appropriate care and “Refer” to support services,’ the conference posted on the Eventbrite website said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lifeline chairman John Brogden for comment.
Ms Ford, a Fairfax Media columnist, is due to speak at the State Library Victoria on May 29 at the ‘Recognise, Respond, Refer’ forum moderated by former newsreader Tracey Spicer