Washington Initiative for Boys and Men
Advocating for improved outcomes for boys, men, and communities
Directors of nonprofit organizations, representatives of labor unions, medical doctors, a school district superintendent, and several grassroots advocates testified on January 23 at a historic public hearing for legislation to create a Washington boys and men commission. View the full 37-minute public hearing.
Jim Kastama is a father of five and the current mayor of Puyallup. When he served in the state legislature between 1996 and 2012, Kastama advocated for policies that would make shared parenting arrangements more common. That way, more kids whose parents split up, like his own kids, would benefit from plentiful time with both mom and dad. Kastama also spoke up at times for fair treatment for men and boys.
Basketball Coach Ashley Robinson Supports Boys & Men Commission Proposal (Video) by Blair Daly of WIBM ‘It’d be nice to have something like that to back us.’ Plus, the director of the Washington Fatherhood Council … Read more
Young Men Only 37% of Vocational College Scholarship Awardees Under State Program by Blair Daly of WIBM “Men will go into the trades,” they say with males underachieving academically. But our leaders are not doing … Read more
Ellis Starrett has four older brothers and an 8-year-old son. A transgender nonbinary masculine-presenting individual, Ellis has firsthand experience with domestic violence and previously did advocacy work helping survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Ellis grew up in northwest Washington and eastern Washington and completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree at The Evergreen State College in Olympia.
Representatives Julia Reed, Davina Duerr, and Timm Ormsby co-sponsored both the Women’s Commission bill (which passed) and the Commission on Boys and Men bill (which has not yet passed).