A progressive radio station based in North Hollywood, California did a story about Washington’s commission on boys and men legislation. The 5-minute story by reporter West Seegmiller was part of the February 28, 2024 Rebel Alliance News broadcast on KPFK 90.7 FM.
“Breaking through the glass ceiling to bravely confront the suffering of boys and men”
Below is a complete transcript of the news story above.
West Seegmiller: In Washington state, a critical initiative aimed at addressing the often-overlooked challenges faced by boys and men was abruptly squashed within the Washington state legislature earlier this month.
[At this point an audio excerpt is played from Blair Daly and Joe Cook’s presentation at a men’s health summit in Seattle on October 25, 2023.]
Blair Daly: We carry out advocacy for improving the well-being of Washington’s boys, male youth, and men, and that includes advocating for the creation of the nation’s first state-level commission focused on improving the lives of males.
Joe Cook: Social movements and advocacy movements have a history of leaving out certain voices. That’s one of the reasons I’m so involved here at these early stages — to make sure all men are represented and their voices are heard on these types of issues. Some people say to us, “A government commission focused on boys and men’s problems? That’ll never happen.” Others Look at the statistics and wonder, “Why has’t that happened yet?”
West Seegmiller: At the center of this surprising development are State Senator Sam Hunt of Olympia and Representative Bill Ramos of Issaquah, both Democrats, who made the decision not to move forward with House Bill 1270 and Senate Bill 5830. Despite receiving bipartisan support, these bills, which sought to establish a Washington State Commission on Boys and Men, were not slated for hearings, sparking significant concern and debate.
Alarming statistics paint a grim picture of the state of boys and men in Washington state. Between 2018 and 2022, the state saw over 16,000 males lose their lives to suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related deaths. The crisis extends further, with males twice as likely to be homeless, more likely to abandon their education, and making up 60% of drug overdose deaths.
Boys and men are overwhelmingly represented in the state’s prisons, account for 90% of workplace fatalities, three-quarters of homicide victims, 75% of completed suicides, and nearly half of the missing and murdered Indigenous people.
The proposed commission was poised to delve into five key areas: education; family and relationships; employment and financial health; physical and mental health; and male experiences within the judicial system. The educational gender divide is particularly alarming, as data from the Global Initiative for Boys and Men, using figures from the state Department of Education, reveals that boys of all racial backgrounds significantly trail their female counterparts in English Language Arts across all grade levels.
The decision by Hunt and Ramos to deny these bills a hearing is particularly striking in light of existing commissions for other specific demographic groups within the state, such as women and LGBTQ populations. This move has ignited a flurry of calls for clarity from a diverse group of bipartisan supporters, who have tirelessly worked to bring these issues to the legislative forefront over the past three years.
The issue was raised during a virtual town hall on January 30th with Senator Hunt and Representatives Jessica Bateman and Beth Doglio, where Doglio described the commission as an “interesting concept” with “interesting statistics.” However, despite her acknowledgment of the need to support all community members, her colleagues’ lack of response seemed to downplay the severity of the challenges faced by boys and men in Washington state.
Growing political gender gap
This legislative standoff occurs against the backdrop of a growing political gender gap. In the U.S., the gap has become increasingly pronounced, with a Pew Research Center analysis revealing a notable divergence in party affiliation by gender since 2008. For instance, in the 2020 presidential election, 56% of women leaned towards or identified with the Democratic Party, compared to only 42% of men — a 14 point gap.
Globally, this trend is also mirrored in various countries. In South Korea, for instance, there is a striking 50% difference in political leanings between young men and women, with women leaning more towards liberal parties and men towards conservative ones. Similar patterns are observed in the UK and Germany, indicating a global phenomenon where gender increasingly plays a pivotal role in political affiliation.
Historically, initiatives serving boys and men have been framed as anathema to feminist progress, with some second wave feminists persistently asserting that boys and men — as inherently violent members of a privileged class — are not deserving of abuse survivor services, or legislation specifically addressing their needs. In recent years, men’s rights activists, or MRAs, have even been identified as domestic terror threats by the Department of Homeland Security, and last month they were identified by the Anti-Defamation League as “a broad set of male supremacist, anti-feminist, misogynist, and sometimes violent movements.”
Increasingly, prominent men’s rights activists, such as the late Marc Angelucci, who was assassinated in 2020, find themselves targeted by intelligence agencies, and smeared by academia, civil society, and corporate media alike, further obscuring the urgent needs of boys and men from the eyes of ideologically-inclined legislators.
As the dust settles on this legislative impasse in Washington state, the determination of advocates like Blair Daly shines through the gloom. In the face of this setback, their resolve serves as a poignant reminder of the work that remains, breaking through the glass ceiling to bravely confront the suffering of boys and men.
See related: Washington Department of Health leaves gender off list of suicide risk factors. That’s wrong — and easy to fix