I just sent in my last packet of work last night and I'm now writing my
semester evaluation. Is there a possibility of having a January Social
event? Before the first NOMAS business meeting of the year (which is in Feb,
right?)? Would some/enough people be able to make it?

Perhaps a week night between the 5th & 16th, or either Saturday the 10th or
17th?

Just a thought. Enjoy the movie tonight!
- ScottY in RI

Hello, I don't think I will be able to make it tonight.  I was hoping to get
all of my studying done (and papers written) early; however, procrastination
reared its ugly head and I am in all weekend studying and writing (my finals
start on Tuesday).  I hope to be much more active after this semester ends!!

Reginald

>===== Original Message From Ron Hod <ron_hod@...> =====
>I'm still in CT and won't be able to make this one. I thought I could, but
since there is another (!!!) nor'easter coming on Sunday we HAVE to wrap
things up here by the early AM on Sunday.
>Please send everyone there my best regards, I will be a LOT more active now
that winter is here.
>Ron Hod
>617-201-7699 (c)
>
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing

Reginald Tucker, MA (R)
Health and Social Behavior - MS2 student
Harvard School of Public Health

Hello NOMAS-Boston friends and allies,

We're having our social night tomorrow
starting around 4 PM.  We're going to
meet at the Diesel Cafe (the green dot on
the attached map) in Davis Square,
Somerville, MA.  Davis Square is a stop
on the (T) Red Line and I've marked some
public parking areas on the map.  After
we've all arrived, we'll find a
restaurant to eat dinner and then see the
7 PM showing of "The Matrix Revolution"
at Somerville Theater (the red star on
the map).  If you're into sci-fi, this is
a good one.  It would be interesting to
discuss the roles that men and women play
in this movie (which takes place in the
future)- is there more racial and gender
equality?  How great a job does this
maintstream movie do in promoting
equality?

I'll have my cell phone on me all day
617-759-9751, so you can reach me for
directions and other questions.  See you
tomorrow!

-Scott

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

Hello NOMAS-Boston members and allies,

I hope that everyone had a Happy
Thanksgiving.  I had much to be thankful
for, including being surrounded by
wonderful and supportive friends and
family (NOMAS feels like family to me,
too).  I can't wait to see you again at
our next meeting, which should be a fun
one.  Please contact Jake and/or myself
to let us know if you are planning on
attending.  Here are the details below:

NOMAS-Boston social night
NOMAS-Boston members and supporters
welcome!
Sat., Dec. 13, 4PM - approx. 9PM
We're meeting at Jake's house (58
Ibbetson St. floor #2) in Somerville at
4PM and then heading to either Capitol
Theater or Somerville Theater (Davis
Square) to catch a 5 PM matinee (movie
TBD).  Jake has offered to drive us to
either theater, and if more of us show up
than can fit in his car, we have more
cars and drivers.  Afterwards, we're
going to stop at a nearby cafe or
restaurant for some good food and great
discussion.

Please contact Jake 617-629-9949 and/or
Scott 617-759-9751,
scott@... for more
information and directions.

NOTE: we haven't picked the movie or
theater yet (partly because movies are
not scheduled this far in advance), but
feel free to offer suggestions.  These
theaters usually hold on to releases past
the time that other theaters stop showing
them and also offer some independent
films.

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

This message is a monthly reminder that you are registered on the public
discussion forum of NOMAS-Boston, a chapter of the National Organization for Men
Against Sexism (NOMAS) http://www.nomas.org .  The purposes of this listserver
are two-fold: to foster discussion on topics related to NOMAS-Boston and to keep
everyone informed about important happenings in NOMAS-Boston.

Your registration allows you to send and receive emails from
public_NOMAS-Boston@yahoogroups.com .

If you wish to send and receive emails from a different account, you can change
your account settings by visiting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/public_NOMAS-Boston but you have to be a
registered member of Yahoo! to do so.

Membership in NOMAS and NOMAS-Boston is not required to use this site; however,
we would encourage those that want to be involved in the decision and action
taking process to become members.  Please visit
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com for more information or contact Scott below.

Any questions or concerns, please contact Scott at scott@...,
617-759-9751.

Hello Edward,

I'd like to take up your proposal to discuss the questionnaire, but
with the understanding that although Jack is a member of NOMAS-
Boston, his research is not being performed on NOMAS-Boston or
NOMAS's behalf.  We are an important resource in his research, as as
far I can recall from Jack's proposal, he is looking for men and
women who identify or do not identify as feminists to participate in
his study.  In addition, the participants should know at least 3
people in each of the three other categories.  I do not recall the
details as to why these were chosen, but I'll leave that to Jack to
divulge only if necessary and not biasing the sample, affecting the
study, etc.  We decided by consensus at the Nov. meeting that it was
okay for Jack to send the questionnaire to the list in the hope of
finding participants, and I am truly sorry that it offended you.

Now, on to discussing the survey in question:

Thank you for sharing your opinions on this matter.  I agree with
much of what you were saying in your responses to the questions, and
yes, I do see how the questions constrain our responses.  I think
that leaving the questions very open-ended as you suggested would
allow the participant to more exactly use her/his own words to
described her/his views on feminism, oppression, and other topics.

But since reading's Jack's email and knowing that this was only a
preliminary survey, I do feel encouraged that the "real" survey will
cover the topics more closely and perhaps give more room for
participant answers and explanations.

I think that initials were used to retain some level of annonymity
because if full names were mentioned, it should be noted that these
people did not give consent to participate in the survey.  I also
remember Jack mentioning that these names/initials will become more
important in the "real" survey to follow.

Maybe we (NOMAS-Boston members) can find some common ground on
suggestions for improving the survey and they can be taken into
account, but they should only be placed forward as suggestions
because ultimately the control is up to Jack.  I hope that we can
treat this as a learning experience for future decisions regarding
surveys sent to all members.

-Scott

--- In public_NOMAS-Boston@yahoogroups.com, "Edward Barton"
<ebarton80@h...> wrote:
>

Hello everyone,

I posted a news story last week where the
Supreme Judicial Court of MA ruled that
the state legislature has 180 days to
write legislation that will allow for gay
marriage.  We (NOMAS-Boston members) are
discussing what actions NOMAS and
NOMAS-Boston should take to support
groups such as GLAD and the Freedom to
Marry Coalition, who spent much time and
energy on this case and upcoming anti-gay
legislation.  I'd like to hear our
friends and allies weigh into this
decision process as well.  There is going
to be a strong backlash against the SJC
decision.  How should we go about
mobilizing ourselves for defending the
decision?  Your thoughts on the roles
that NOMAS-Boston could take...

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

Hi there,

You are receiving this e-mail because you either (a) expressed an interest
in participating in a study examining people's opinions about feminism or
(b) I thought you might be interested in participating.  The first part of
this project is below.  Please hit reply to this message and feel free to
answer the questions in this e-mail and send right back.  if you would
prefer to print and mail it my address is also below. Please e-mail me with
any questions or concerns.


Consent Form

Consent Form 1.3

Dear participant:

I am an associate professor at Curry College and am asking for your help in
participating in a research study that I am conducting with two associates,
Kathy Ferguson and Ash Turnbull. We are interested in understanding how you
view feminism and your self-image as being a feminist or not being a
feminist.

The study will be done by e-mail in a series of three steps and will
probably take about an hour and a half (in total) to complete.  The first
step will ask for some basic information about you (such as your age) and
then a few brief questions about your opinions about a few statements.  The
second step will involve you comparing people you think of as feminists and
those you think of as not being feminists on various personality
characteristics.  The third step will ask you to evaluate yourself based on
personality characteristics.

Your opinions are private and will remain anonymous. The information used in
this study will not have your name on it and will be private. All of the
information you provide will be held as confidential.  You may discontinue
participating in this study at any time with no consequences to you.  If you
decide to stop participating you may do so by simply sending an e-mail
requesting to end your participation.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at the number
or e-mail provided below.  Thank you for your help.



Jack S. Kahn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Curry College
(617) 333-2271
Jkahn@...


Demographics Form 1.3

Please fill out the following information.  All information is confidential.
You may just type the information below the question asked (it may be tricky
to actually 'check' the boxes).  We will send the next step in the next
couple weeks.

Please indicate your e-mail address here:

1.  Birthdate

2.  Gender  	        Male  Female  	 Androgyne


3.  Race/ Ethnicity (Please indicate one category)

          African-American/ Black
Asian-American/Pacific Islander

     _   Caucasian/ White
Latino-American (Hispanic)

          Native American/ Alaskan 		    Bi/
Multi-racial/ ethnic
    								 (Please
indicate which groups)

        Other                       			  (Please List)

4.  Country of Origin

Were you born in the United States?  	 Yes 	 No

	 If No:  What country were you born in?


Are you a citizen of the United States?   Yes 	 No

5.  Would you like to receive updates about this study?  	 Yes
No

6.  Do you consider yourself a feminist/profeminist/ or pro-feminist?
	 	  Yes 	 No


For the following statements please indicate how much you agree with the
statement below by using a scale of 1-7 where "1" represents never or not at
all or almost certainly not and "7" represents always, very much, or
absolutely.


7. I believe that men and women should have the same rights and
opportunities and currently women have less rights and opportunities than
men do.

8. I believe that men and women have different qualities and that
women's qualities and strengths are often underestimated in our culture.

9. I believe women are oppressed and that the root of this oppression
is the gender-system which will require dramatic changes in our social
structure to correct.

If you answered a 5 or higher on questions 7-9 please answer question 10, if
not skip it.

10. If you HAD to choose between statements 8-10 as best representing
your opinion, which would you choose?

For the following statements please indicate how much you agree with the
statement below by using a scale of 1-7 where "1" represents never or not at
all or almost certainly not and "7" represents always, very much, or
absolutely.

11. I believe that men and women currently do have the same rights and
opportunities.

12. I believe that men and women have different qualities and that their
strengths are equally recognized in this culture.

13. I believe that women are not oppressed and changes in our basic
social structure are unnecessary.

14. Please give the initials of three people you would consider
feminists.  It would best if all three were of your same gender and
approximately your age.  You may include people you actually know or people
you know of (such as a famous person) but it is probably easier to do
someone you know.  Please do not choose yourself.

		 Initials 	 Gender

For example: M.B. 	 M

15. Please give the initials of three people you would NOT consider
feminists.  It would best if all three were of your same gender and
approximately your age.  You may include people you actually know or people
you know of (such as a famous person) but it is probably easier to do
someone you know.  Please do not choose yourself.


		 Initials 	 Gender

For example: M.B. 	 M



Thank you again for your help and assistance.  Should you have any questions
about this survey or this project please don't hesitate to call Dr. Jack
Kahn (617) 333- 2271 or e-mail jkahn@... <mailto:jkahn@...>.
You should receive part 2 within 2 weeks.

Jack S. Kahn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Curry College
Psychology Department
1071 Blue Hill Avenue
Milton, MA 02186
(617) 333-2271

Mass. Court Strikes Down Gay-Marriage Ban
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031118/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_9

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News Home Top Stories U.S. National Business World Entertainment Sports Technology Politics Science Health Oddly Enough Op/Ed Lifestyle Local Comics News Photos Most Popular Weather Audio/Video Full Coverage Crosswords Full Coverage More about Gay and Lesbian Issues Related News Stories • Mass. Court Strikes Down Gay-Marriage Ban AP (Nov 18, 2003) • Mass. Court Says State Can't Ban Gay Marriage Reuters (Nov 18, 2003) • Massachusetts backs gay marriage BBC (Nov 18, 2003) Opinion Editorials • The timeless meaning of marriage Boston Globe (Nov 16, 2003) • Get Me to the Church on Time and a Half for Overtime LA Weekly (Nov 14, 2003) Feature Articles • Transplant targets gay marriage Boston Globe (Nov 18, 2003) • Queer lit for the gay teen Salon (Nov 11, 2003) Related Web Sites • Homosexuality and Bisexuality • LAMBDA Legal Defense and Education Fund • Crimes of Hate, Conspiracy of Silence News Resources Providers · AP · Reuters · AFP · The New York Times · washingtonpost.com · USATODAY.com · U.S. News World Report · NPR News Alerts · U.S. Supreme Court · President Bush · Department of Public Health Services · Daily Emails · Free News Alerts   News via RSS

U.S. National - AP Mass. Court Strikes Down Gay-Marriage Ban 58 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo! By JENNIFER PETER BOSTON - Massachusetts' highest court ruled 4-3 Tuesday that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and gave lawmakers 180 days to fix the problem. AP Photo AFP Slideshow: Same-Sex Marriage Issues   "Whether and whom to marry, how to express sexual intimacy, and whether and how to establish a family — these are among the most basic of every individual's liberty and due process rights," the majority opinion said. "And central to personal freedom and security is the assurance that the laws will apply equally to persons in similar situations." The Supreme Judicial Court left the details of the same-sex marriage issue to the Legislature. Advocates said the case took a significant step beyond the 1999 Vermont Supreme Court decision that led to civil unions in that state. Attorney Mary Bonauto, who represented the seven gay couples who sued the state, said the only task assigned to the Legislature is to come up with changes in the law that will allow gay couples to marry at the end of the 180-day period. Vermont-style civil unions would not be enough, she said, because that would fall short of marriage. A constitutional ban on gay marriage could not be enacted in Massachusetts until 2006 because it takes seveal years to change the state's constitution. "This is a very good day for gay and lesbian families in Massachusetts and throughout the country," Bonauto said. But the issue may find a hostile audience in the Massachusetts Legislature, which has been considering a constitutional amendment that would legally define a marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The state's powerful Speaker of the House, Tom Finneran of Boston, has endorsed this proposal. And Republican Gov. Mitt Romney criticizing the ruling, saying: "Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that makes that expressly clear. Of course, we must provide basic civil rights and appropriate benefits to nontraditional couples, but marriage is a special institution that should be reserved for a man and a woman." A key group of state lawmakers also has recently been working behind the scenes to craft civil union legislation similar to the law passed in Vermont. Gay and lesbian advocates had been cheered by a series of advances this year, including a U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) decision striking down anti-sodomy laws, the ordination of an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, and a Canadian appeals court ruling that it was unconstitutional to deny gay couples the same marriage rights as heterosexual couples. Belgium and the Netherlands also have legalized gay marriage. In addition to Vermont, courts in Hawaii and Alaska have previously ruled that the states did not have a right to deny marriage to gay couples. In those two states, the decisions were followed by the adoption of constitutional amendments limiting marriage to heterosexual couples. No American court has ordered the issuance of a marriage license — a privilege reserved for heterosexual couples. The U.S. House is currently considering a constitutional ban on gay marriage. President Bush (news - web sites), although he believes marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman, recently said that a constitutional amendment is not yet necessary. The Massachusetts case began in 2001, when seven gay couples went to their city and town halls to obtain marriage licenses. All were denied, leading them to sue the state Department of Public Health (news - web sites), which administers the state's marriage laws. A judge threw out the case in 2002, ruling that nothing in state law gives gay couples the right to marry. The couples appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court. The plaintiffs argued that barring them from marrying a partner of the same sex denied them access to an intrinsic human experience and violated basic constitutional rights. The state's Attorney General's office, which defended the Department of Public Health, argued that neither state law nor its constitution created a right to same-sex marriage. The state also said any decision to extend marriage to same-sex partners should be made by elected lawmakers, not the courts.  Email Story   Post/Read Msgs (10945)   Print Story Ratings: Would you recommend this story? Not at all 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Highly Special Feature Incredible Expanding Cell Phones They're not just for talking anymore Next Story: Malvo Describes Shooting on Audiotape  (AP) More Top Stories Stories · Mass. Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban  (Reuters) · Bush heads to Britain on state visit amid huge security  (AFP) · Plea Deals Being Used to Clear Balkan War Tribunal's Docket  (The New York Times) · Muhammad Guilty on All Counts  (washingtonpost.com) · Gov. Schwarzenegger takes office  (USATODAY.com) ADVERTISEMENT

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Hi Scott,

I'm glad to see you making these steps.  I, too, would like to see
more introductions posted on this list (yes, we know each other but
it would be great to introduce ourselves).

I agree that becoming more visible and exposing oneself as an
advocate is a great step forward.  It's tough to do knowing that
people can be very judgmental, but being open and honest about my
feeling and my beliefs often feels like I am taking a huge weight off
of my chest.

I can emphathize with your feelings, too, about incorporating
advocacy and activism into a career.  Regardless of where I end up
following a career, combating sexism will continue to remain a top
priority.  This past week, I was appalled (but not surprised) to hear
how my male labmate has been making sexist and demeaning comments
about women around and to my female labmates.  Fortunately, he was
reprimanded for doing so, but that doesn't completely ease the anger
and the hurt that my labmate felt.  Aside from a public scolding by
me (which I was told was not necessary, as he seemed to be slowly
understanding the point), I did what I could, which was explaining my
sorrow for her having to go through this situation, offering whatever
help I could in the situation, and telling her that I found this
completely unacceptable and if I caught him making these comments, I
would make it perfectly apparent that I do not tolerate this kind of
behavior.

What I described was more of a personal action and visibility,
something that we can at any time, which is different from taking
action as a group.  Logistics can become frustrating, and right now
it is difficult (but not impossible) for NOMAS-Boston to plan and
execute large-scale events.  However, this doesn't preclude us fom
taking an active participatory roles at other organizational events.

I'm also excited to know that NOMAS-Boston as a group has and is
continuing to making connections with other organizations, such as
Jane Doe, Inc., Men's Initiative for Jane Doe, Inc., Greater-Boston
NOW, and GLAD.  Greater-Boston NOW has called on us to participate in
a march for choice in Washington DC in April.  The Feminist Culture
Club of Greater-Boston NOW is also interested in holding a second
joint discussion meeting sometime soon.  And right now (with Craig's
tremendous help), I'm exploring the possibility on getting NOMAS-
Boston members the chance to participate in the White Ribbon Campaign
speaker's event at Emmanuel College in Boston on Dec. 4.  And I'm
sure that there will be more opportunities to come as well.

Okay, I got somewhat sidetracked from the original discussion in this
email, but I'm wondering what others think, too, about visibility and
what it means to you.

-Scott P.
(now that there's two Scotts)

--- In public_NOMAS-Boston@yahoogroups.com, Scott Youmans
<rsyoumans@c...> wrote:
> Craig,
>
> On 11/16/03 1:56 PM, "Craig Norberg-Bohm" <cnorbergbohm@j...> wrote:
> > Talk some about this visibility and the new form you imagine it
can take in
> > our lives.
>
> > On 11/15/2003 at 2:23 PM Scott Youmans <rsyoumans@c...>  wrote:
> >> ... I am interested in personally  moving to the next level. I
see the next
> >> level as being a visible stand for sexual equality and justice.
>
> I speak of personally moving to the next level. I imagine that
other members
> of this list are at their own level, probably above mine, in terms
of living
> the work.
>
> My first step is ... well, joining this list. From here, the next
step is to
> learn about NOMAS and other advocacy groups, and understand the
ways I can
> participate locally. My participation could include some
combination of IT
> support, organizing, writing, speaking, and education.
>
> By becoming active - visible - in a group like this, I may help
empower
> women's voices (e.g. sharing stories, creating local and virtual
> communities), encourage dialog between boys and men (e.g. school
> presentations, mentoring), and promote the idea that it is
important for men
> to stand up for women's rights and equality.
>
> And the step after this? I'm in the process of creating a career.
I'm not
> sure what it is yet, but some of the above elements are included. I
hope
> that this group can perhaps provide some guidance along the way.
>
> > Welcome, and try not to be disappointed.  This is a new list,
only a few
> > months old, and none of us are practiced at moving along an on-
line
> > conversation.  In-fact, this list has no moderator here per se.
>
> My disappointment is really more of a hope that I'll see other
introductions
> on this list. (call me an optimist :-) I imagine that many of you
know each
> other already, but for new members, your intros will be most
helpful.
>
> Be well, Scott

Craig,

On 11/16/03 1:56 PM, "Craig Norberg-Bohm" <cnorbergbohm@...> wrote:
> Talk some about this visibility and the new form you imagine it can take in
> our lives.

> On 11/15/2003 at 2:23 PM Scott Youmans <rsyoumans@...>  wrote:
>> ... I am interested in personally  moving to the next level. I see the next
>> level as being a visible stand for sexual equality and justice.

I speak of personally moving to the next level. I imagine that other members
of this list are at their own level, probably above mine, in terms of living
the work.

My first step is ... well, joining this list. From here, the next step is to
learn about NOMAS and other advocacy groups, and understand the ways I can
participate locally. My participation could include some combination of IT
support, organizing, writing, speaking, and education.

By becoming active - visible - in a group like this, I may help empower
women's voices (e.g. sharing stories, creating local and virtual
communities), encourage dialog between boys and men (e.g. school
presentations, mentoring), and promote the idea that it is important for men
to stand up for women's rights and equality.

And the step after this? I'm in the process of creating a career. I'm not
sure what it is yet, but some of the above elements are included. I hope
that this group can perhaps provide some guidance along the way.

> Welcome, and try not to be disappointed.  This is a new list, only a few
> months old, and none of us are practiced at moving along an on-line
> conversation.  In-fact, this list has no moderator here per se.

My disappointment is really more of a hope that I'll see other introductions
on this list. (call me an optimist :-) I imagine that many of you know each
other already, but for new members, your intros will be most helpful.

Be well, Scott

Hi Scott,

Welcome, and try not to be disappointed.  This is a new list, only a few months
old, and none of us are practiced at moving along an on-line conversation. 
In-fact, this list has no moderator here per se.

Let me ask a question.  You finished your comment with:

>I see the next level as being a visible stand for sexual
>equality and justice.

Talk some about this visibility and the new form you imagine it can take in our
lives.

Craig


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 11/15/2003 at 2:23 PM Scott Youmans <rsyoumans@...>  wrote:

>I imagine that this is the closest NOMAS group to me here in RI. Scott, I
>honor you for your commitment to get this group going.
>
>I am a grad student in an Individualized MA program through Goddard College.
>I'm studying the use of writing as a means for healing and transformation.
>Specifically, I'm looking at how language can help men and boys see
>themselves and their connection to violence. In making that connection
>visible, men may begin to break the cycle of violence against women, rape,
>and bullying. These all have their roots in sexism.
>
>In my former life, where I still keep at least one foot, I was in the
>software development world. I left in 2002, and I now have my own
>consulting business (www.youmansmedia.com) that helps pay the bills.
>
>I'm active in several facets of the men's movement (UUMeN, ManKind Project,
>and various men's gatherings) and I am interested in personally  moving to
>the next level. I see the next level as being a visible stand for sexual
>equality and justice.
>
>I'll leave it there for the moment. I'm disappointed that of the 14 or so
>members of this group, there are only postings from Scott. I hope to hear
>more from all of you. I saw on the calendar that there is a movie night
>coming up. I'm not sure that I'll make it to that, but I hope to attend
>future discussion groups.
>
>Be well, Scott Youmans
>
>


===================================================
Craig Norberg-Bohm, Coordinator
Men's Initiative for Jane Doe Inc.

Jane Doe Inc.......VOICES FOR CHANGE..........
Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence
14 Beacon Street, Suite 507
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 557-1802
Fax:   (617) 248-0902
TTY:   (617)-263-2200

==================================================
EMERGENCY ACTION:
Save Massachusetts Rape Crisis Centers and initiatives to reach under-served
communities!
To find out how you can help, visit us at:  http://www.janedoe.org
====================================================

I imagine that this is the closest NOMAS group to me here in RI. Scott, I
honor you for your commitment to get this group going.

I am a grad student in an Individualized MA program through Goddard College.
I'm studying the use of writing as a means for healing and transformation.
Specifically, I'm looking at how language can help men and boys see
themselves and their connection to violence. In making that connection
visible, men may begin to break the cycle of violence against women, rape,
and bullying. These all have their roots in sexism.

In my former life, where I still keep at least one foot, I was in the
software development world. I left in 2002, and I now have my own consulting
business (www.youmansmedia.com) that helps pay the bills.

I'm active in several facets of the men's movement (UUMeN, ManKind Project,
and various men's gatherings) and I am interested in personally  moving to
the next level. I see the next level as being a visible stand for sexual
equality and justice.

I'll leave it there for the moment. I'm disappointed that of the 14 or so
members of this group, there are only postings from Scott. I hope to hear
more from all of you. I saw on the calendar that there is a movie night
coming up. I'm not sure that I'll make it to that, but I hope to attend
future discussion groups.

Be well, Scott Youmans

Hello NOMAS-Boston members and allies,

This is a reminder that we are meeting
tomorrow from 1-2PM at the Central Square
Library in the basement conference room.
There will be signs directing you to the
meeting location, as well.  If you need a
copy of the meeting agenda or directions
to the meeting, please don't hesitate to
give me a call or send me an email.
Thank you, and I hope to see you tomorrow.

-Scott

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

Hello fellow NOMAS-members and allies,

Nov. 8 sounds like a great time to hold our next steering committee
meeting. We are planning on holding the meeting at the Central
Square Library 1-3 PM.  At this meeting we will also decide when we
want to hold our next social event as well. If you have any
questions or concerns about the meeting, please get in touch with
me. I hope to see you Saturday!

-Scott

NOMAS-Boston meeting 11/8/03 1-3 PM, Central Square Library,
Cambridge, MA

45 Pearl Street (617) 349-4010
http://www.cambridgema.gov/~CPL/hours/central.html

Until we determine the conference room that we will be using, just
ask the librarians where the NOMAS meeting is taking place.

Directions by T red line:
Take the T red line to the central square stop. Walk to the exit
that says Pearl Street (if you can't find it, any exit that leads to
Massachusetts Ave. will work). Look for Pearl Street (it runs
perpendicular to Massachusetts Ave. and is across the street from
the organic food supermarket), it appears on the side of the street
with the 'Inbound' T exits/entrances. The library is on your right
in less than a block.

Directions by car:
There is a public parking garage on Green Street (right before the
library). Since it is a Sat., there will probably be enough spaces.
If not, there is parking behind the post office on Mass. Ave, there
are some meters on Franklin Street (after the library), and other
municipal parking along Mass Ave.

Tentative Meeting Agenda:

1. Introductions/Check-ins
2. Review of Agenda – Additions, Subtractions, Time Spent per
Item
3. Set date and location of next meeting

-----------------------------------------PAST------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Review of minutes from last meeting (9/5/03)
5. Review of Men's Initiative for Jane Doe, Inc. Literary
Reading (10/21/03)
6. Important updates NOMAS-friendly organizations (e.g. MIJD
[Craig], MRC, FCC [Scott])?
-----------------------------------------PRESENT---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
7. Success with contacting GLAD, getting on the email list
[Jack], where do we go from here
8. Explanation of the two email listservers: public_NOMAS-
Boston@yahoogroups.com (NOMAS and non-NOMAS members) and NOMAS-
Boston@yahoogroups.com (steering committee) [Scott]
9. Brainstorming ways to keep ourselves involved in work
upholding the principles of NOMAS (pro-feminism, gay affirmation,
anti-racism, enhancing men's lives); e.g. active (writing
articles/opinion pieces for publication, demonstrations, guest
speaking) versus supportive roles (fundraising activities)
10. Decide which people/organization(s) deserve praise, write
thank you/support/encouragement card

-----------------------------------------FUTURE----------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11. Nov. 12th Constitutional Convention on H3190 (anti-gay
amendment banning the right to civil unions, etc.) happens, contact
Robyn at 617.482.1600 or email at robyn@...
12. Planning another social event, e.g. movie at Jake's house
[Jake], if following the every other month a social event, then it
should be in Nov.
13. [depending on the outcome of item #6] planning a joint
discussion meeting with the Feminist Culture Club (FCC) of Greater-
Boston NOW
14. Planning events/personal actions for November (White Ribbon
Campaign) and beyond

15. Review of Meeting
16. Process Period/Check-outs









Homework that should be performed before the next meeting:
- Visit website (http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com), every
member create email account, update information
- Create Yahoo! Account if you want to be able to read emails
and discussion strings on our yahoogroup
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NOMAS-Boston)
- Visit NOMAS national website (http://www.nomas.org)
- Payment of dues (currently set at $15/yr for our chapter, $0-
50/yr sliding scale for national) [NOTE: NOMAS and NOMAS-Boston do
not discriminate on the ability to pay dues, anyone who wishes to be
a member but cannot pay the dues are still encouraged to join, for
any questions on this policy please contact Scott (information
below)]


To Pay Dues and Make Donations:

We can only accept cash or checks. Checks should be made out to
NOMAS-Boston. For donations, please indicate if part or the entire
donation is for a particular fund. We have a fund that is money set
aside for aid to a member to help cover the expenses of attending
NOMAS national conferences (conference fund).

Mailing Address:

NOMAS-Boston
13 Buckingham Dr.
Westford, MA 01886


Questions or Concerns, please contact Scott Pherson, NOMAS-Boston
Chairperson, 617-759-9751 (cell) and by email at
scott@.... I usually carry my cell phone with me
and I will have it on Saturday.

Hello everyone,

After hearing from several NOMAS-Boston
members who told me that they would not
or were leaning towards not attending our
upcoming steering committee meeting, I
felt that it was probably in the group's
best interest to cancel the meeting.  We
want to make sure that decisions made at
steering committee meetings reflect the
will of the group, and since a good
portion of our active members will not be
able to attend really limits our ability
to do so.  The next committee meeting
will be in early November.

Also, I want to remind everyone about a
great event happing on Tuesday, October
21, and Craig would love for NOMAS
friends and members to attend.  "Men
Against Sexual & Domestic Violence" is a
literary reading to benefit the Men's
Initiative for Jane Doe, Inc.  The event
features Andre Dubus III (novelist),
Richard Hoffman (poet & writer), and
Charles Coe (poet & writer).  The event
starts Tues., Oct. 21 at 7:30 PM at
Emmanuel College, Cardinal Cushing
Library-Lecture Hall, 400 The Fenway,
Boston, MA (see www.emmanuel.edu for
directions).  Tickets are $20 and can be
purchased in advance on-line at
www.janedoe.org/donate.htm
For more information about the event call
617-557-1830 or mensinitiative@...

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

This message is a monthly reminder that you are registered on the public
discussion forum of NOMAS-Boston, a chapter of the National Organization for Men
Against Sexism (NOMAS) http://www.nomas.org .  The purposes of this listserver
are two-fold: to foster discussion on topics related to NOMAS-Boston and to keep
everyone informed about important happenings in NOMAS-Boston.

Your registration allows you to send and receive emails from
public_NOMAS-Boston@yahoogroups.com .

If you wish to send and receive emails from a different account, you can change
your account settings by visiting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/public_NOMAS-Boston but you have to be a
registered member of Yahoo! to do so.

Membership in NOMAS and NOMAS-Boston is not required to use this site; however,
we would encourage those that want to be involved in the decision and action
taking process to become members.  Please visit
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com for more information or contact Scott below.

Any questions or concerns, please contact Scott at scott@...,
617-759-9751.

Hello NOMAS-Boston members and friends,

I talked to Jake today, and it sounds
like it is still up in the air as to
whether we can use Jake's house for our
next social event on October 11 or 12.
We'll find another time (Nov.?) to hold
our next social event.

But our steering meeting is still moving
forward and it will be held from 1-3 PM
in the Central Square Library in
Cambridge on Sat., Oct. 11.  Jake is
going to reserve one of the two
conference rooms on the basement level
for us.  We welcome all who are able to
attend to join us.  You can check our
website http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
for more details as they arise and we'll
send a follow-up reminder a few days
before the meeting takes place.

-Scott

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

Hi everyone,

I was taking a break from studying to
check out Michael Moore's website.  I
found a section where he writes messages
to directly deal with smear campaigns
against him.  The reason I bring this up
is because at our social night on Aug.
30th, someone brought up the point that
the scene where Michael Moore walks into
a bank and walks out with a gun in
"Bowling for Columbine" was staged.  On
michaelmoore.com , he states that the
opening of the account and the handing
out of the gun happened as we saw in TV,
it was only about a ten minute background
check, etc. and they cleared him to get
the gun (see
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/ )  Now that is scary.

-Scott

Hello everyone,

I know that we have requested that each
person who registers on the yahoogroup
give a brief introduction about
him/herself, whatever you want to say,
your background, interests, etc.  So
here's mine:

My name is Scott Pherson, and I started
getting involved in anti-violence work in
1999 when I joined a college student
organization, Tufts Men Against Violence.
  Our focus was on engaging men on campus
to be aware and actively try to stop male
violence against women.  In 2000, myself
and two other TMAV members attended the
NOMAS 25th Men & Masculinity Conference
held in Colorado Springs, CO- and here
began my lasting relationship with NOMAS.
  The NOMAS-Boston chapter was born
following the 25th M&M Conference.  I
continued to lend my support in whatever
ways that I could with NOMAS and campus
organizations, TMAV, TTLGBC, TCU senate,
etc., holding various roles, titles, and
responsibilities.

I graduated from Tufts in May 2002 and
moved back home to Westford, where I
remain while attending graduate school
full time at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute.  Again, I am pursuing a career
path, Molecular Biology, where my paid
work will not directly engage issues
related to NOMAS, but I remain firmly
passionate about the issues and volunteer
as much time as I can to effect positive
change.

There is much I have gained with NOMAS
and much more that I hope to gain.  I
appreciate and value the great
friendships that I have made through
NOMAS and I hope to get to meet more
people who may someday be my friends.

In terms of what I would like to see with
the group NOMAS-Boston, I have several
ideas.  The first is to build a large
enough core membership that we can hold
regular discussion meetings (a discussion
group).  In addition, a larger membership
will allow us to plan and implement
internal and/or collaborative projects
with other like-minded organizations.
Also, based much on my fond memories of
being the TMAV Newsletter Editor, I'd
like to see NOMAS-Boston develop and
print (paper or online) our own newsletter
to help spread our message.

I know that I have plenty more to say,
but I promised that I would keep it
brief, and I'd be happy to talk with
anyone who read information that struck a
chord.  I look forward to hearing from
you.

-Scott

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751

This email is to test the ability for
members of the group to send email to the
listserver and not have their email
address displayed.

Scott Pherson
NOMAS-Boston Chairperson
http://www.nomasbos.intranets.com
Email:
scott@...
Phone:
Home (978) 692-4251
Cell (617) 759-9751