The Uncomfortable Conversation

The Uncomfortable Conversation, Inc. is dedicated to normalizing conversations about sexual violence, particularly among young men. We believe conversations are accessible, practical and scalable tools that drive individual, organizational and cultural change. The Uncomfortable Conversation has produced 90+ short YouTube videos illustrating how men can support survivors, navigate consent, and address troubling ideas or behaviors among peers. The Uncomfortable Conversation is grounded in two years of listening and learning from the sexual violence prevention field, survivors of sexual violence and the organizations that serve them, a listening tour with leaders from all sectors about their engagement with sexual violence, and over 75 in-depth interviews with young men. The most interesting discovery throughout this journey has been the realization that men and women alike have little idea how to talk about sexual violence, a startling prospect given how unfortunately prevalent it is in our society - and our media dialogue - today. While the volume of the conversation is currently at an all-time high, the quality of the conversation has yet to evolve – and include men in constructive ways. The project has been featured in the Philadelphia Metro, WHYY, NY Observer, AskMen and FoxNews, and at events like the Independent Television Festival, Civic Series, Calling All Crows 10th Anniversary Event, and an interactive screening event at HBO.