Saturday, December 11, 2010

Tony Porter: A call to men

considering all the attention i pay to the fact that i am a minority in my chosen profession and i want to fight against the pressure to serve a historically defined place in society, its humbling to acknowledge the fact that such issues exist for both sexes. i imagine it must be difficult for a male to try to resist the international expectation that he should represent the stereotypically masculine characteristics of, for example, understanding how to fix things, be physically dominant, "act like a man," brag about sexual conquests (regardless of their truth), etc...

a project initiated by tony porter called a call to men "challenges men to reconsider many of the social norms that define manhood, in an effort to create a more just society."

what a statement. and they go farther...

"a call to men believes that ending violence against women is primarily the responsibility of men. Although historically it has been almost entirely women who have been at the forefront addressing this issue, we think it is essential that men play a primary role in the solution to end it. To do that, well-meaning men... men who, for the most part don't see themselves as part of the problem... need to get involved."

i was really intrigued by this TED video of tony porter sharing his experiences and explaining why he decided to raise his voice about this issue.

1 comment:

Big Mark 243 said...

Hey Amanda!! I posted his TED talk on my Facebook this morning (came in my You Tube subscriptions!). I thought his take was on point and I am glad that he spoke so elquently and forcefully.

Take care and be well, wherever you are!!