Episode 63

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Published on:

19th Mar 2026

Breaking the Ice: Male Allyship and Hypermasculine Sports Culture in Canada – Landon Kenney

The need to engage with men and boys about issues such as consent, healthy relationships, and preventing violence and abuse is more urgent than ever at a time when world leaders such as Donald Trump and spaces like the Manosphere are projecting dominating, destructive images of masculinity around the world. This certainly applies in Canada, where the spread of far-right politics next-door in the US is having a significant impact – and where Prime Minister Mark Carney is arguably demonstrating a different kind of leadership. 

Our guest, Landon Kenney, is someone who is working to show that men and boys don’t have to be angry, tough and violent – and that they can work together with women, girls and gender diverse people to create a more equitable and peaceful society. He coordinates the Male Allies Program for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of the Waterloo Region in Ontario (SASC), Canada.

In this episode, Landon tells us about the work that SASC and the Male Allies Program have been doing since 2008 to prevent sexual and gender-based violence with men, boys, and organisations such as Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey League. We discuss the importance of changing macho sporting cultures, highlighted by the sexual assault scandal in Canadian ice hockey in recent years. We also talk about hopeful shifts in cultural discourses about masculine norms, exemplified in the recent hugely popular Canadian TV series ‘Heated Rivalry’. We explore how masculinity is depicted in this powerful show, and the potential it has to help men and boys open up about intimacy, vulnerability, and sexuality.

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Episode timeline:

  • Intro
  • What the Male Allies Program involves (02:41-04:29)
  • How the program was initiated by the Sexual Assault Support Centre (04:29-07:48)
  • Landon’s own journey into this work (07:48-11:00)
  • Being accountable to women (11:00-17:36)
  • The impacts violence prevention work has on men and boys (17:36-21:38)
  • How Trump has affected Canadian society and Mark Carney's response (21:38-29:17)
  • Break
  • Working to create change in ice hockey and sport (29:26-33:07)
  • Addressing hypermasculine sports cultures (33:07-36:46)
  • The Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal (36:46-40:40)
  • Heated Rivalry and its portrayal of masculinity (40:40-47:09)
  • The impact of the show on Canadian society (47:09-50:53)
  • Professional male athletes coming out as gay (50:53-53:34)
  • The future for profeminist work in Canada (53:34-55:42)
  • Conclusion (55:49-01:02:36)

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About the Podcast

Now and Men
Changing Masculinities, Challenging Norms
What role can men play in achieving gender equality?
Why is feminism good for men?
How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them?

These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK).

We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world.

At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures.

New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

About your hosts

Stephen Burrell

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I am a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne. I'm originally from the UK, and moved to Australia at the beginning of 2024. My research is about men, masculinities, and violence. I am particularly interested in the prevention of men's violence - especially violence against women, and violence against the environment - and promoting care as an alternative. I'm a big fan of feminism, drinking tea, connecting with nature, eating vegan snacks, and listening to heavy metal.

Sandy Ruxton

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Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Durham University (UK). Independent researcher, expert on men and masculinities. Previous policy work on human rights, children and families, poverty and social exclusion, and asylum and migration. Programme experience with boys and young men in schools, community, and prisons. Steering Committee member, MenEngage Europe. Volunteer for OX4 Food Crew. Chess-player, bike-rider, tree-hugger. Great grandfather edited Boy's Own Paper, but was sacked.