Willimantic, Conn: — Duane DeFour, an educator and activist with 20 years of experience teaching gender violence prevention, bystander intervention, sexual health education and diversity education, will speak at Eastern Connecticut State University on April 13 at 3 p.m. in the main lobby of the Student Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
DeFour, who produces “How Manly.Com,” a blog about masculinity in media and culture, will discuss “The Price of Brotherhood: Uncovering the True Cost of Media’s Obsession with Traditional Masculinity.” His talk will examine current depictions of men and masculinity and the role they play in encouraging rape culture and violent, harmful male behavior. The event is designed to encourage males to challenge these images and messages and to support more positive and uplifting masculine behavior.
DeFour has facilitated hundreds of training sessions at universities; the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and National Guard; middle and high schools; detention, revocation and treatment centers; and battered intervention centers. He has also appeared on panel discussions at the Jane Doe, Inc. annual meetings, and on Huffington Post Live and Fox News to discuss domestic violence.
An adjunct professor in Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies in Boston, DeFour teaches diversity and career and life planning courses for the Foundation Year program. He earned bachelor’s degrees in women’s studies from the Universities of Utah and Colorado, and a master’s degree from Northeastern University