Aspire – The I Have The Right To Podcast
Aspire - The I Have The Right To Podcast
Podcast Description
Join the I Have the Right to team and thought leaders as we Aspire to eradicate sexual assault. Inspired by Co-Founder Chessy Prout’s courageous voice and memoir, I Have The Right To- A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice and Hope, co-authored by investigative journalist Jenn Abelson, our mission is to create an ecosystem of respect, education, and support for all students! Aspire is meant to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for growth -- by offering a forum for dialogue - about issues affecting our culture and the way we live, interact, love, learn and grow. Real Men, Real Conversations: Aspire touches on both sides of the coin; Co-Founder of I Have the Right To and father of Chessy Prout, Alex Prout, and High School Student Leaders and Co-Hosts, Hugh Eastman and Gabriel Viscogliosi, share their voices with discussions about what it means to be a man- does it mean being aggressive, stoic, and not taking no for an answer? Or giving your buddy a hug and telling him you love him? Alex, Gabriel, and Hugh share how, across generations, common masculinity tropes impact us all, and how we can inspire the future to act with "aspirational masculinity". They interview guests to get their perspectives, while discussing how rigid gender norms can create harmful barriers for all. All this, and more, in “Real Men, Real Conversations”. Survivor Advocacy: In the “Survivor Advocacy” segment, Co-Founder and mother of Chessy Prout, Susan Prout, and Executive Director of I Have the Right To, Katie M. Shipp, highlight the power of survivor voices in driving meaningful change. These episodes —deeply inspired by Chessy’s unwavering courage to speak out despite attempts to silence her— amplify powerful survivor stories, engage with experts, and explore the path forward in the fight for justice and safety. Listeners will gain insight into where we’ve been, where we need to go, and how we can collectively create lasting impact. Together, we’ll explore diverse perspectives to drive meaningful, lasting advocacy and build a safer, more just future for all. We amplify survivors’ voices and address the root causes of sexual violence by creating open dialogue around its causes. Each episode features a variety of guests discussing survivor experiences, the aftermath of sexual assault, healthy masculinity, and the future we envision - free from sexual assault. Let’s explore, learn, and aspire together.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on themes of sexual assault advocacy, healthy masculinity, and survivor empowerment. Episode highlights include discussions on aspirational masculinity, societal pressures around failure, the emotional journeys of survivors, and the impact of rigid gender norms. Specific episodes cover topics like the redefinition of masculinity following trauma and the significance of open dialogue among young men.

Join the I Have the Right to team and thought leaders as we Aspire to eradicate sexual assault. Inspired by Co-Founder Chessy Prout’s courageous voice and memoir, I Have The Right To- A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice and Hope, co-authored by investigative journalist Jenn Abelson, our mission is to create an ecosystem of respect, education, and support for all students!
Aspire is meant to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for growth — by offering a forum for dialogue – about issues affecting our culture and the way we live, interact, love, learn and grow.
Real Men, Real Conversations: Aspire touches on both sides of the coin; Co-Founder of I Have the Right To and father of Chessy Prout, Alex Prout, and High School Student Leaders and Co-Hosts, Hugh Eastman and Gabriel Viscogliosi, share their voices with discussions about what it means to be a man- does it mean being aggressive, stoic, and not taking no for an answer? Or giving your buddy a hug and telling him you love him? Alex, Gabriel, and Hugh share how, across generations, common masculinity tropes impact us all, and how we can inspire the future to act with “aspirational masculinity”. They interview guests to get their perspectives, while discussing how rigid gender norms can create harmful barriers for all. All this, and more, in “Real Men, Real Conversations”.
Survivor Advocacy: In the “Survivor Advocacy” segment, Co-Founder and mother of Chessy Prout, Susan Prout, and Executive Director of I Have the Right To, Katie M. Shipp, highlight the power of survivor voices in driving meaningful change. These episodes —deeply inspired by Chessy’s unwavering courage to speak out despite attempts to silence her— amplify powerful survivor stories, engage with experts, and explore the path forward in the fight for justice and safety. Listeners will gain insight into where we’ve been, where we need to go, and how we can collectively create lasting impact. Together, we’ll explore diverse perspectives to drive meaningful, lasting advocacy and build a safer, more just future for all.
We amplify survivors’ voices and address the root causes of sexual violence by creating open dialogue around its causes. Each episode features a variety of guests discussing survivor experiences, the aftermath of sexual assault, healthy masculinity, and the future we envision – free from sexual assault.
Let’s explore, learn, and aspire together.
In this week's episode of Aspire, Alex Prout is joined by his daughter and co-host Lucy Prout, along with student interns Ryan and Sylvie, for a conversation with Gary Barker, founder and CEO of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice. Gary reflects on the personal experiences that led him into this work, including violence he witnessed in school and his early exposure to neglect, abuse, and silence around harm.
The conversation explores how boys and men learn harmful ideas about strength, silence, and dominance, and how those norms can shape relationships, identity, and violence. Gary explains why he centers care in his work, arguing that boys and men need examples of emotional connection, fatherhood, self-care, and community responsibility if we want to prevent violence upstream rather than just responding after harm has happened.
Ryan and Sylvie share their own experiences of speaking up, while Lucy reflects on the importance of collective responsibility and restorative approaches. The episode closes with a hopeful vision of aspirational masculinity: one that makes room for tenderness, accountability, and choosing who you want to be rather than inheriting a narrow script.
To learn more about Equimundo, visit: equimundo.org
To join I Have The Right To's fight for a world free of sexual violence, please visit: ihavetherightto.org/take-action/
Aspire is produced by BenHudakProductions.com

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