Right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has launched a scathing attack on modern feminism during his speech at Parliament House.
The controversial figure labelled the movement ‘vindictive’ and ‘man-hating’ as he addressed MPs and journalists in the Mural Hall in Canberra on Tuesday.
‘Feminists like to say that feminism is about equality for women – about giving women equal standing with men. They have it,’ Yiannopoulos said.
‘What feminism has became since it has run out of things to complain about is a mean, vindictive, sociopathic, man-hating movement.
Right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has launched a scathing attack on modern feminism during a speech at Parliament House. He is pictured with Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm
Pauline Hanson (pictured sitting front right) was among the One Nation Senators to attend
‘You’d be hard pressed to find a journalist who doesn’t describe themselves as a feminist these days. But it’s very difficult to find a normal women who does.’
Yiannopoulos said Western women should be ‘enormously proud’ of the advances they had made, but said there is ‘no place left for an organised feminist movement’.
‘[Women] now have equal access to education, equal access to the workplace – they get paid the same for the same work.
‘A female Harvard economist attempted to establish the existence of a wage gap last year and failed to do so.
‘Feminists like to say that feminism is about the equality for women – about giving women equal standing with men. They have it,’ Yiannopoulos said
Former One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts (centre) asks a question to British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos
Yiannopoulos said Western women should be ‘enormously proud’ of the advances they had made, but said there is ‘no place left for an organised feminist movement’
‘When you take in women’s different educational choices, different preferences and the fact they have to have children… the wage gap narrows to almost nothing.’
Yiannopoulos argued there is a divide in the way feminists describe themselves and the way they behave.
‘The horror of mainstream media companies employing people who tweet things like ”kill all white men”, ”I bathe in male tears” and ”masculinity is so fragile”.’
He added: ‘People just don’t want to be around those things.’
Meanwhile, Greens leader Richard Di Natale launched an unsuccessful bid to have the British-born commentator banned from appearing at Parliament House.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale (pictured right) unsuccessfully requested Milo Yiannopoulos (left) be banned from speaking at Parliament House
Senator Di Natale posted a letter he wrote to the Presiding Officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate along with this caption on Twitter
Senator Di Natale last week wrote to the Presiding Officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate to revoke that invitation, from Senator Leyonjhelm.
He wrote that Yiannopoulos is ‘an individual who has become notorious for his racist, sexist and abusive behaviour’.
Though the request was unsuccessful, he did manage to have a Senate motion passed condemning the 33-year-old author.
‘Good on the Senate for passing the Greens motion condemning Milo Yiannopolous,’ Senator Di Natale tweeted.
‘His desperate attempts to seek attention through vile and hateful rhetoric has no place in the Australian Parliament.’