Men Against Sexual Violence is proud to announce the first annual Male Ally Conference at UIC.  The Male Ally Conference is a three day event that seeks to engage men in ending transphobia, homophobia and violence against women. 

The opening program on Friday, April 24th is a film screening and discussion of “Beyond Beats and Rhymes” led by Byron Hurt and with panelists from Chicago’s own “AquaMoon.”  The time is 7-9 p.m. and the location is James Stukel Towers Events Center, 1235 S. Halsted Street, Chicago IL.

Hurt will provide a keynote address the morning of Saturday, April 25th followed by workshops that will examine how race, sexual orientation, and disability intersect to change the meaning of what it means to be a man.  Workshops on moving from theory to practice will take place the morning of Sunday, April 26th. 

The Male Ally Conference is free.  Pre-registration is required. For further information and online registration, go to http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/msv.html and select the Male Ally Conference link.  The opening program (April 24th) is open to everyone and the events on April 25th and 26th are open to male identified persons only.

The conference features men from all communities leading workshops on race and masculinity, disability and masculinity, trans-masculinity, and unlearning homophobia. During these workshops men will have the opportunity to talk about what it means to “be a man” and how race, transgender identity, sexual orientation, and disability intersect to change this meaning from community to community.  Men will also learn about what they can do in their everyday lives to stop a culture of violence.

The third day of the conference takes theory to action with exercise to encourage coalition building and networking.  During day three conference participants will also have the opportunity to share ideas for further action and education on our campus and in their home communities. “The conference is a unique opportunity for men to talk about something that ordinarily is a taboo subject,” said Stephen Adler, member of Men Against Sexual Violence (MASV) and primary coordinator of the conference. “The response of departments and other student organizations thus far confirms to us that men want to be part of the movement to end interpersonal violence.”

Byron Hurt one of the nation’s most widely-known male anti-sexism activists will give the keynote. Hurt is a former Northeastern University football quarterback and was also a founding member of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program.  MVP is a leader in college-based rape and domestic violence prevention initiatives for college and professional athletics. Hurt is also the former Associate Director of the first gender violence prevention program in the United States Marine Corps.  A long time activist, author and film maker Hurt challenges audiences to interrogate the damaging effects of patriarchy, racism, and sexism in American culture.

If you require an accommodation in order to participate, please contact the Office of Women's Affairs at (312) 413-1025 two weeks prior to the event. If you would like more information about how to get involved or how to attend, contact Stephen Adler at masvuic@gmail.com or visit http://www.uic.edu/depts/owa/msv.html.


Conference co-sponsors include:

SAFC Student Activities Funding Committee, African-American Cultural Center, Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Center for Research on Women & Gender, Interdisciplinary Center for Research on Violence,  UIC Athletics, Special Assistant to the Provost for Diversity, College of Applied Health Sciences,  Young People For The American Way, Honors College, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs,  Asian American Resource Center, Office of Women’s Affairs, Campus Advocacy Network, Gender and Women’s Studies, Gender and Sexuality Center, Student Outreach Services, Feminists United, African American Academic Network, Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, Disability Studies, Rape Victim Advocates, Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment.