An Intro to “Gender Matters”

Why Gender Matters  Rus Ervin Funk  Gender matters!  The name of this blog series is meant to convey two different but inter-related themes:  a) that gender matters and b) that gender matters. What I mean by this is that with regards to just about any issue that we’re facing (and in every issue that I’ll be addressing here), gender matters. We’re not only going to…

Sometimes When We Walk the Talk, We Trip

Presented at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church Feb 23, 2020 Opening Words From Gloria Anzaldua “…when you empathize and try to see her circumstances from her perspective, you achieve un conocimiento that allows you to shift towards a less defensive, more inclusive identity. When you relate to others not as parts, problems or useful commodities but…

Encouraging Men to Examine the Impact of Viewing Pornography

  Experience and evidence suggest that viewing pornography is almost a universally accepted practice by men. A majority of men view pornography, and most on a regular basis. Increasingly, as researchers Mary Crabbe and Michael Flood note in a 2017 report entitled, “School-based education to address pornography’s influence on young people: A best practice framework”, adolescent boys are using on-line pornography as a way to supplement…

On Aspiring to Ally

On Aspiring to Ally Additional Experiences of a WhiteMale at the Women of Color Network Summit and Conference   Today (Nov 14, 2018), is the first day of the Women of Color Network Call to action Summit and Conference. As many of you know, I currently serve on the Steering Committee of the North American…

Men’s Responses to Sexual Harassment & Assault

What an autumn we’ve had!!!  We’ve seen the #metoo on-line movement explode across social media, and have seen an unprecedented number of women and men coming forward to accuse some prominent and powerful men, both locally and nationally, of sexual harassment or assault. To a large degree, men’s responses (individually and collectively) has been, well,…