“Masculinity in America” keynote, UC-Santa Barbara
Thomas viscerally understood his new privilege in 2011, just a few months after he began injecting testosterone, when he spoke up at a news meeting and his new, lower voice silenced the room. As a feminist, he was horrified; but as a reporter, he knew he had a rare opportunity to use his "beginner's mind" to expose the hidden biases and assumptions that drive many of our cultural narratives about gender. In the years since, he’s made masculinity his “beat,” reporting on post-Recession masculinity, gender at work and in sports, trans media narratives, and the gendered dynamics of our current culture war.
Thomas has spoken to the leading sociologists, psychologists, economists, anthropologists, and neurobiologists studying boys’ brain development, the economics of toxic masculinity at work, white supremacy and gender identity, and the shaky “biology” of gender. His talks are informative and customizable, and through them he’s supported organizations all over the world think critically about how insidious biases can create ineffective or toxic workplaces, public spaces, and parenting strategies—and what we can do to change course.
Thomas has taught at the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism and is a regular media commentator for NPR and other outlets. He’s given talks at over a dozen colleges and institutions, including the Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, The New York Public Library, and as the opening keynote of the University of Santa Barbara’s “Masculinity in America” speaking series.
For a list of recent topics, or if you're interested in bringing Thomas to your organization, use this contact form to email him directly.
