Members of the Gender and Sexuality Center and other various groups on campus hosted a screening of Thomas Keith’s documentary “The Bro Code” last Monday. The film and discussion with the filmmaker were meant to challenge the ideal of American manhood that suggests that being a “bro” — being a “man” — means glorifying sexism, bullying, and abuse.
“There’s not really a brief way to say it but the most important argument that Dr. Keith makes [is that] media and popular culture as a whole socialize men to be sexist through lessons on how to womanize, condoning rape jokes, narrowly defining intimacy and healthy relationships through repeated porn consumption, and showing ways men can police each other on what is acceptable masculinity. Understanding the dynamics of how these messages and spread throughout media is the first necessary step to stop how we are constantly being boxed into dangerous and suffocating gender identities,” said Dawn Lee Tu, director of cultural centers at USF.
The issues highlighted in “The Bro Code” tie in to the concerns highlighted by October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Caroline Christ, senior intern at The Gender and Sexualities Center, spoke about Domestic Violence Awareness Month and an opportunity for students to get more informed on the subject through the screening of “Telling Amy’s Story,” a documentary about domestic abuse, at the ASUSF Senate meeting, last Tuesday October 22. “[Domestic violence] is a power dynamic over another person where they do not have the autonomy to fight back. It [can] happen in relationships and in marriages, as well, or in any intimate, close, relationship,” she said.
Interested in the topic? If you’d like to find out more about the event or about similar upcoming events, you can contact The Gender and Sexuality Center at 415-422-4431 — or visit them on UC 4th Floor — for additional resources and information.
