Editorial: Men, boys could use a little help to be better men

Article here. Excerpt:

'It’s not acknowledged often, but being a father isn’t an easy job. (Being a mother is no breezy task either, but tomorrow being Father’s Day, we’ll stick to that subject).

And that level of difficulty seems only to be increasing as pressures and expectations on men and boys are growing in complexity and consequence, and a range of advice and influence — some of it helpful, much of it counterproductive at best — pulls those with XY chromosomes in different directions.

Being a good father — and growing into and living as a good man — requires more thought, preparation and effort than manning the grill on weekends. More men and boys are struggling to make those efforts and find success in school, careers and their personal lives, even as girls and women for the most part appear to be coping better and finding success with modern life’s complexities and demands.'

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Father’s Pledge - Allies, Activists, Advocates

Article here. Excerpt:

'Father’s Day presents the opportunity for reflection, gratitude, or even a reset if necessary. While commerce collects major consumer dollars, culturally, it is also utilized by some to shine a spotlight on issues in the community.

Calling all fathers and father figures, for 15 years, Quentin Walcott, executive director and co-founder of the anti-violence organization Connect NYC, has had hundreds of men recite The Fathers Pledge Against Violence on the steps of Brooklyn’s Jay Street Borough Hall or Manhattan’s City Hall. Today, Thursday, 13th June, the Pledge was recited on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan.

The first of the 11 points is, “Never commit, condone, or remain silent about domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and violence in our homes and communities.”

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'In Her Boots' display recognizes challenges Women Veterans' face

Article here. Excerpt:

'Wisconsin is home to nearly 300,000 veterans. Ten percent of those veterans are women. Out of all fifty states, Wisconsin is one of twelve that recognizes June 12th as Women’s Veterans Day officially.

The display ‘In Her Boots’ can be found at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum to honor Women’s Veterans Day, but to also bring awareness to the many issues Women Veterans face.

138 induvial boots are on display and they represent 138 different stories of Wisconsin Women Veterans.

Megan Haag, a Wisconsin Air National Guard Veteran, has her boot in the display. Haag says “I am proud to be a US Woman Veteran. My father is a Vietnam Veteran and my grandfather received a purple heart in World War II so being a patriot is just near and dear to my heart.”

While the display celebrates and honors the Women who have served our country, most of these boots are decorated to represent the many issues these women faced during their time of service.'

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Governor Healey, Executive Office of Veterans Services Celebrate Women Veterans Recognition Month During Deborah Sampson Award Ceremony

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) today announced Mary-dith Tuitt as the 2024 Deborah Sampson Award recipient. Mary-dith Tuitt was honored and presented with this title by Governor Maura T. Healey and Secretary Jon Santiago at the annual Women Veterans Recognition Day Ceremony, held at the Massachusetts State House.

“It is always a joy to celebrate National Women Veterans Appreciation Day at the State House to honor the remarkable women who have served in our armed forces. We recognize the immense contributions and sacrifices they have made, and their ongoing service to our community, state, and country,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I'm also thrilled to present Mary-dith Tuitt with the Deborah Sampson Award and thank her for inspiring us today and every day.”'

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Germany’s government proposes a new law to fast-track young men to join its depleted armed forces

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'Germany’s defense minister announced on Wednesday plans for new legislation that would help refill the depleted ranks of the armed forces to bolster the country’s defense capabilities.

Boris Pistorius said the proposed bill would allow the government to send letters to all young men who turn 18 — about 400,000 every year — asking about their willingness and ability to serve in the military.

Under the law, those who receive the letter would have to fill out the questions. The army would then invite those interested in serving for a medical checkup and choose the most qualified to serve in the military for a period of 6-23 months.'

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House passes defense bill automatically registering men 18-26 for draft

Article here. Excerpt:

'The House of Representatives passed a measure on Friday automatically registering men aged 18 to 26 for selective service.

It was part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets out the U.S. government’s military and national security priorities over the next fiscal year.

This year's NDAA authorizes $895.2 billion in military spending, a $9 billion increase from fiscal 2024.
...
It was led by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and passed in the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the NDAA in May. The NDAA advanced through the committee in an overwhelming 57 to 1 vote.
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The NDAA passed the House in a 217 to 199 vote, but it’s unlikely to be taken up by the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blasted the bill on Friday afternoon over the inclusion of amendments curbing funding for abortion, transgender medical care, and diversity efforts.

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Seattle Mariners Host Refuse To Abuse Father’s Day Game Day for Domestic Violence Prevention

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Seattle Mariners will host a Refuse To Abuse® Game Day for Domestic Violence Prevention on Sunday, June 16th at T-Mobile Park, marking 28 years of partnership with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV). This year’s event invites supporters to enjoy a Seattle Mariners Game together and takes place on Father’s Day. “Everyone can play a role to prevent domestic violence,” said Ward Urion, Strategic Prevention Strategist at WSCADV. “Fathers make a big impact when they model integrity and respect in relationships and we’re grateful for all the fathers out there who are showing up as part of the solution.”'

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From 'himfluencers' to toxic masculinity: How social media is shaping young men

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'According to a new report from Australia's eSafety Commissioner, the internet can be a place of tensions, complexities and possibilities for young men.

The research examined the online experiences of young men in Australia aged 16 to 21 years old and explored how they express their identities, explore sexuality, and navigate social connections online.

Researchers said ideas about gender can both empower and limit young men, and those who strive to enact masculine stereotypes can end up harming themselves and others.

eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said positive and diverse role models are needed as a small number of harmful voices are dominating conversations about masculinity.

"There's constant pressure for young men to conform to particular, often narrow and traditional, ideals about manhood," she said.

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‘Getting younger and younger’: Alpha male trend rises in kids as social media algorithm targeting exposed

Article here. Excerpt:

'The alarming rise in alpha male culture continues across the country, with one expert seeing Australian boys as young as 11 becoming heavily influenced by the content being promoted on social media.

The “alpha male” is defined by its followers as someone who takes charge, is hyper masculine, with everyone wanting to be him and women wanting to be with him.

A study conducted by the Dublin City University (DCU) showed that social media algorithms are amplifying the notion of male supremacy and misogynistic content.

The researchers made 10 experimental puppet accounts on YouTube and TikTok and found that all of the male-identifying accounts were drowned in anti-feminist, masculinist and extremist content.'

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Australia's media industry is no meritocracy. Instead, the shamelessness of mediocre men is rewarded with untold power

Article here. Excerpt:

'The horrible truth is that in the Australian legacy media landscape, there are too many stories of senior men who forgive themselves their own lapses of judgement, or forgive each other's because they're "good blokes", or — in the worst cases — go easy on each other because they fear a nuclear escalation.

Across this industry, there are precious few female editors, chief executives, news directors, and executive producers at the biggest commercial companies. But those who do hold those jobs know instinctively that they need to keep their noses rigorously clean. Because members of the boys club will rarely extend to them the benefit of the doubt they will so readily, sometimes unthinkingly, give each other.

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Travelers With Domestic Violence Charges Are Now Banned From Australia

Article here. Excerpt:

'In the past, Australia has denied travel visas to R&B singer Chris Brown and boxing star Floyd Mayweather due to domestic violence convictions. They’re taking this stand against domestic violence one step further by barring any visitor with a domestic violence charge against women or children from entering Australia.

The law came into effect on Feb. 28 and applies to all offenders regardless of where they’re from, where they committed the crime or what their sentence was. In addition, anyone who is currently visiting or living in Australia on a visa and has a record of domestic violence will be kicked out.

The new laws add to existing legislation that withholds or removes visitor visas if the visa holder has been sentenced to 12 months or more in jail.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said in a public statement that, "If you've been convicted of a violent crime against women or children, you are not welcome in this country."'

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White men have least chance of getting on BBC trainee scheme

Article here. Excerpt:

'The findings were released via the Freedom of Information Act. Female applicants also had a stronger chance of getting in than men, but by a lesser degree.

Since 2022, an average of 60.25 per cent of applicants were women. But in that same period, women made up 71 per cent of participants.

In contrast, men made up an average of 39.75 per cent of applicants but 29 per cent of participants, meaning that womens’ chances of getting onto the scheme were 1.6 times higher than their male counterparts.

Neil O’Brien, who until the election was the Conservative MP for Harborough, said: “Unlike previous BBC schemes which have stated they are BAME-only, this scheme markets itself as open to anyone. But in practice there is discrimination.'

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The Equal Pay Act passed over 60 years ago. So, why do women still make less than men?

Article here. Excerpt:

'Key factors sustaining the gender wage gap are workplace harassment, the lack of protection for parents and caregivers, segregation of men and women into different job types, and women entering the workplace after a history of earning lower or unequal wages, said Deborah Vagins, campaign director for the civil rights nonprofit Equal Rights Advocates and director of the national campaign Equal Pay Today.'

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Iceland Set to Be Pioneer State Issuer of Gender Diversity Bonds

Article here. Excerpt:

'Iceland, a country that ranks highest in the world for equality, will become the first nation to borrow money to spend on improving the gender gap.

The move follows a protest at the end of last year by thousands of women, who took to the streets to highlight the inequality that still exists. The bond offering will break new ground in a hot market for ESG debt, where so far only companies or development agencies have linked borrowing to gender spending.

“We would be the first sovereign to do a bond in this format, which I think is a good opportunity to step in that market and show an example of what can be done,” Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, told Bloomberg. She recently traveled to New York to talk about social gender bonds.

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Alabama Lawmakers Want Prison for False Reporting Charges. That Could Have Serious Consequences.

Article here. Excerpt:

'For the last six years, I’ve been collecting and researching cases in which people – mostly young women and sometimes children – were charged with falsely reporting a rape or sexual assault. I’ve amassed more than 230 cases that span the country, an investigation we first shared in the documentary “Victim/Suspect,” streaming on Netflix. In our first-of-its-kind qualitative analysis, we found a pattern of police turning their suspicions to the reporting victim before thoroughly investigating the alleged crime.

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