Courtney over at Feministing have put together a compilation of various men’s thoughts in response to her previous post, which discusses alternatives to “toxic masculinity” (e.g., Tucker Max). My personal favorite (either by Courtney or David Pitcher — I can’t tell) echoes sentiments I expressed in response to a local outbreak of domestic violence murder-suicides:
Boys are so paranoid about appearing feminine that they adapt a “culture of cruelty” and retreat into the common male role. How can we raise our boys to break this pattern?
To answer this question, a little further up, Alex Dibranco ventures:
What a week. One shooting at Fort Hood, then a second shooting in Orlando…a bit closer to home (Portland, OR), the 3rd shooting of the week…because she filed for divorce?? And a fourth shooting and a fifth shooting in the Portland-metro area. In all five cases the perpetrators are men.
Sex service users create the demand that moves pimps to provide supply women and young girls. Without demand, there would be no pimp, no sex slave. We need to go after the users, most of whom are men, many of whom are white and/or economically privileged. ’nuff said…here’s the trick…
Below is the letter of resignation I just sent. I was doing anti-violence work under an executive director who has her entire staff terrified and purges the organization of all employees who show anything other than submissive assent to her. Why does she bully her employees? According to some recent peer-reviewed research in social psychology, it’s because she feels both incompetent AND empowered. Scary combination, and completely unacceptable and inappropriate anywhere — let alone within the context of anti-violence and social justice work!
UPDATE (9/21): The SATF Executive Director’s response is included, below.
UPDATE (9/24): Another follow up from the Executive Director, which includes a message that Eva Kutas, Board President, sent to the SATF staff (but not the listservs).
UPDATE (10/7): A follow up that came through RAINN, entitled “Just What Are We Afraid Of?”
September 21, 2009
To Whom It May Concern,
It is with a heavy heart that I hereby submit my resignation as Prevention Specialist of the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force. Read the rest of this entry »
How will hip hop ever grow to its full potential when the very gender that reproduces our future artists, activists, columnists, producers, and entrepreneurs of our urban community are belittled to almost an object for the testosterone filled modern day rappers? When did the women of our culture become only useful for physical beauty and sexual activity? Why doesn’t Rap music uplift and inspire their female listeners to reach the same level of success males have?
An anonymous source within the United States Department of Defense leaked information yesterday about a new “Green Warfare” initiative. “The Obama Administration handed us a mandate to “green” our defense systems,” said the contact. “Naturally, we used this as an opportunity to find new, creative ways to kill people while protecting or even enhancing Mother Nature’s beauty.”
I just learned about Tim Wise a couple weeks ago. Watching the above immediately reminded me of “somatic analogies” (below). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by ozob 
Posted by ozob 
Posted by ozob 
poem: free trade 071609
September 22, 2009Sex service users create the demand that moves pimps to provide supply women and young girls. Without demand, there would be no pimp, no sex slave. We need to go after the users, most of whom are men, many of whom are white and/or economically privileged. ’nuff said…here’s the trick…
Read the rest of this entry »