Washington Initiative for Boys and Men
Advocating for improved outcomes for boys, men, and communities
Posts about issues that apply to Washington state as a whole or issues that are within Washington but outside the Seattle area:
The FBI’s recent podcast about international parental kidnapping was inspired by the case of Jay Sung and his son Bryan. Bryan is a U.S. citizen who at age three was brought to South Korea by his mom for a vacation, and she has wrongfully kept him there ever since.
Two organizations in Washington have hosted screenings of the timely and important documentary Gone Guys. Aiming to build on this momentum, Washington Initiative for Boys and Men is reaching out to civic leaders and community based organizations to help get more screenings planned.
Jeff Michaelis and his wife MaryAnn testified for a bill intended to require porn websites to verify that individuals accessing their site are 18 or older. Supporters and opponents of the proposal gave compelling testimonies. HB 2112 ultimately did not pass.
Washington-based counselor and author Ann Silvers says the mainstream belief that vastly more women than men are killed by an intimate partner — often cited as five or six times more — is based on a misinterpretation of a study from 2013.
When Quixote Village opened in Olympia in 2013, it was the first tiny house village in Washington to provide permanent supportive housing to those overcoming homelessness. Since then, New Horizon Communities has opened two more villages in Orting and Shelton, creating housing capacity for a total of 95 people so far, two-thirds of whom are military veterans.
In Washington female politicians have been by far the strongest champions for creating a state commission focused on uplifting boys and men in ways they need uplifting. Increasingly male politicians are stepping forward to advocate for boys and men.
LaVell Walton lives in Federal Way and formerly worked for Seattle Public Schools. — Across Washington State, a quiet crisis is unfolding — one that most people can feel but few can fully name. Boys and young men are disappearing in plain sight.