JWF’s kickoff program for Men as Allies was a great success! More than 50 men and women came together for cocktails, conversation, and a thought provoking discussion about the important role men play in achieving gender equity, preventing violence, and creating a more just society for all people.
Men as Allies Chair Jay Bauer opened the program and spoke about why he is a feminist and supports JWF’s work. Guest speaker Dr. Jeffrey Nall spoke about how feminism improves the lives of women and men and that JWF is at the forefront of the conversation about societal norms that limit both men and women. Feminism views men and boys as integral to improving our society. Dr. Nall pointed out that toxic masculinity is learned behavior and boys and men can “unlearn” it.
Table 26 owner and host Eddie Schmidt shared with the group why he and his husband Ozzie Medeiros believe so strongly in supporting JWF. Eddie described JWF with the following words: empowering, compassion, breaking down barriers, prevention, awareness, education, non-discriminatory, leadership, family, and opportunity. Watch this short video of his presentation.