At their meeting on November 13, 2023, the Bellevue City Council became just the second government entity in Washington to recognize International Men’s Day. Deputy Mayor Jared Nieuwenhuis read the proclamation designating November 19, 2023 as International Men’s Day in Bellevue, encouraging community members to celebrate the men in their lives on that day.
“A day to celebrate men’s positive contributions to their communities and families and to bring attention to social problems disproportionately impacting men” – Lynne Robinson, Mayor of Bellevue
Watch the video below, which shows the reading of the proclamation followed by two supporters — Jaskaran Singh Sarao and Ann Silvers — expressing their appreciation for it.
See related: Breaking New Ground, City of Ellensburg Proclaims November 19 International Men’s Day [Video]
Below is the complete text of the proclamation, followed by a photo of the signed proclamation.
City of Bellevue | Proclamation
Whereas: November 19 is International Men’s Day, a day to celebrate men’s positive contributions to their communities and families and to bring attention to social problems disproportionately impacting men; and
Whereas: The 2022 national point-in-time count found that men were 68 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness; and
Whereas: According to the Bellevue Police Department, 90 out of 125 people who died by suicide in Bellevue between 2013 and 2023 to date have been male; and
Whereas: Males were 73% of the more than a thousand people who died from drug overdoses in King County in 2022; and
Whereas: Youth disconnection rates, which are the percentages of people ages 16-24 who are neither working nor in school, are particularly high for Native American males (24.3%) and Black males (21.4%) nationally; and
Whereas: The City of Bellevue recognizes and celebrates men who contribute to the strength, vibrancy, and leadership of our city as we strive to be a place where each person can reach their full potential.
Now, therefore, I, Lynne Robinson, mayor of Bellevue, Washington, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby proclaim Nov. 19, 2023, as:
International Men’s Day
in Bellevue and encourage community members to celebrate the men in their lives.
See also: Female Psychotherapist Urges Lawmakers to ‘See and Hear’ the Real Struggles of Males