Fourteen legislators – seven Democrats and seven Republicans, seven women and seven men – are sponsors of Senate Bill 5830 and House Bill 1270 to establish a Washington State Commission on Boys and Men. 

Among them is Sen. Jesse Salomon, a 32nd District Democrat who represents part of Edmonds and Lynnwood, and all of Mountlake Terrace and Woodway.

The commission would focus on improving the well-being of boys and men in areas such as education, mental and physical health, fatherhood, family and relationships, the court systems, and jobs, careers and financial health. 

If created through legislation, the commission would become part of the state government like other commissions, under Title 43 of the Revised Code of Washington.

The legislation started in early 2021 as grassroots advocacy by Redmond resident Blair Daly, founder of the Washington Initiative for Boys and Men (WIBM). “I’ve had some personal experiences that brought me to a place of deeper empathy for, and better understanding of, boys and men,” said Daly, who had experienced fatherlessness after his parents divorced when he was 14 years old. “In my younger years, I experienced multiple episodes of severe depression, accompanied by suicidal ideations. Only much later did I learn that males are four out of five youth suicides in Washington.”

Daly approached Rep. Mary Dye, a Republican from Pomeroy, and Sen. John Lovick, a Democrat from Mill Creek. Both liked the idea of having a state commission for the well-being of boys and men and agreed to be the bill’s primary sponsors. HB 1270 and SB 5830 were introduced on Dec. 13, 2023, and the first reading of the bills were on Jan. 8. 

“There are many issues that impact men and boys. Yet, there is no unified voice that would tackle these issues at the state level,” Rep. Dye said in introducing HB 1270. “If adopted, this legislation would create the first-of-its-kind boys and men’s commission in the nation right here in Washington state.”

Currently, Daly and his advocacy team are mostly focused on appealing to State Sen. Sam Hunt, the chair of the State Government and Elections committee. He has the authority to schedule a hearing on the Senate version of the bill, SB 5830.

“At this point, the only remaining meeting of the Senate State Government and Elections committee, for which the meeting agenda hasn’t yet been decided on, is the committee’s meeting on Jan. 30.” Daly said. “We expect that agenda to be published on Jan. 24. If by the evening of Jan. 24, SB 5830 still has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing (to occur at the Jan. 30 meeting), then the bill is almost certainly dead for this year.”

Daly pointed out that the new commission “would pay the keenest attention” to what he describes as Washington states “male gender gaps” – defined as socioeconomic areas where males are at a disadvantage. 

“For example, improving the well-being of, and opportunities for, boys who grow up poor and in single-parent households should be of greater priority to a Commission on Boys and Men than boys who grow up wealthy and in a two-parent household,” Daly said. “Both groups are boys, but the outcomes for the former group are much worse than the outcomes for the latter group.” However, Daly said that both groups experience male gender gaps, which the commission would address. They include: 

• Homelessness (63% male) and unsheltered (70% male)
• Incarceration (97% male)
• Juvenile rehabilitation (91% male)
• Non-elderly adults who lack health insurance (65% male)
• High school dropouts (61% males)
• 50% of boys are not meeting English/Language Arts standards in grades 3 to 8
• Victims of homicide (76% male)
• Deaths from opioid overdose (72% male)

Full statistics and citations can be viewed here.

While there are existing government agencies and nonprofits that provide help for boys and men, Daly thinks the current outcomes are not improving. The commission will target root causes of the problems that plague many boys and men.

In a recent commentary that appeared in publications statewide, Daly highlighted what he called “deaths of despair” — defined as deaths from suicide or from drug or alcohol abuse. These are a disproportionately male phenomenon, and they’re increasing, he added. 

“In Washington, as around the country, many boys and men are in trouble, Daly wrote. “They are dying at disproportionately high rates from drug overdoses. They are also more likely than women and girls to be homeless, to end up in jail, prison or youth rehabilitation facilities, and to drop out of high school.”

The U.S. Census reported in 2021 that about 5.26 million women from age 18 to 24 have enrolled in a public college or graduate school, compared to about 4.55 million men within the same age range. In addition, the Pew Research Center reported in 2021 that 46% of women from age 25 to 34 earned a bachelor’s degree versus 36% of men. More than 9,600 people responded to the survey.

Daly added that men are underrepresented in several key professions where greater gender diversity could be an asset, like teaching, social work, nursing and mental health care. He also pointed to “the recent attention across the political spectrum spotlighting the work of Richard Reeves and his book, ‘Of Boys and Men,’ about the struggling modern male.”

If the legislation is passed, the newly created Commission on Men and Boys would partner with the Women’s Commission of Washington State, the LGBTQ Commission, Human Rights Commission, Commission on African American Affairs, Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Commission on Hispanic Affairs, Indian Health Advisory Council and other commissions and councils.

“I am nearly certain it will be the only government commission focused on the well-being of boys and men at any level of government anywhere in the U.S.,” Daly said. “I have heard from people in other states that they are learning from the legislation we crafted here and are hoping to pursue creating a commission on boys and men in their state too.”

— By Nick Ng