Sheldon Kitzul is tired of hearing B次元官网网址渂oys will be boys.B次元官网网址�
The father, leadership coach and social worker had been chewing on the idea of creating a menB次元官网网址檚 conference for some time, even before the #MeToo movement kicked into high gear the conversations around men, women, sexualized violence and the toxic role gendered expectations can play.
He mentioned to his friend, Victoria city Coun. Jeremy Loveday, that he wanted to see something where men and boys could share space to open that dialogue.
B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 pin it on any one demographic,B次元官网网址� Kitzul says of the team behind , the one-day conference happening at the University of Victoria this Friday (May 11).
Folks of all genders are invited to engage in healthy, meaningful dialogue with the goal of reaching more positive and supportive models of masculinity in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 for people who are in that state of readiness,B次元官网网址� he explains. B次元官网网址淧eople wondering, B次元官网网址榃hat do I talk to my son about? This is the world heB次元官网网址檚 in.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
And, the world is still a place where the vast majority of sexualized violence that takes place is by men against women, he points out.
B次元官网网址淎s men, itB次元官网网址檚 our thing, weB次元官网网址檝e got to do something about it.B次元官网网址�
With Loveday; Sean Dhillon, chair of the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre; Greater Victoria School District Trustee Jordan Watters and sexual health educator Nick Sandor, Kitzul has assembled a day of workshops, panels and discussions, as well as a youth segment with performance art and spoken word.
B次元官网网址淪ome people want to listen to people talk and some people are going to have a lot to say,B次元官网网址� Sandor says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about making space for all of that.B次元官网网址�
He considers the conference a community-building exercise to look at an extremely nuanced topic, as a holistic issue. This is an attempt at being a catch-all to bring together families, young people and those in the dating community, he explains. B次元官网网址淚ssues related to gender violence and masculinity travel through all those areas.B次元官网网址�
Topics on the agenda include building a culture of consent, dismantling sexism in male dominated spaces, what represents toxic masculinity and being a man in todayB次元官网网址檚 society.
The hope is that participants will explore those and other concepts, under the larger overarching issues of sexuality, racism, colonialism and feminism.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 essential that we recognize colonialism,B次元官网网址� Kitzul says. B次元官网网址淧atriarchy and colonization are intertwined.B次元官网网址�
He adds that the masculinity many grew up with, that we continue teach each other, police each other in and teach our boys has actually been harmful.
While tickets are selling fast for the auditorium space of just 300 people, the entire conference will also be live-streamed at .
B次元官网网址淚 think what scares men about it is feminism does so much work to point out those power dynamics or inequality,B次元官网网址� Sandor says. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 kind of this precarious space for men, because we know whatB次元官网网址檚 wrong with traditional notions of masculinity, but weB次元官网网址檙e still kind of at this awkward stage of creating a positive alternative for the future.B次元官网网址�
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