MEXICO CITY – A controversial conference focused on masculinity will take place as scheduled this Friday in Mexico’s Jalisco state, despite significant backlash over reports that taxpayer funds were used to support the for-profit gathering.
The event, titled “Fearless Masculinity,” features divisive speakers including author Jordan Peterson and is being held in one of Mexico’s most dangerous regions for women. Local media reports indicated that a municipal committee had allocated 400,000 pesos (approximately $23,170) to cover speaker payments, accommodations, and promotional costs for the conference, which charges attendees up to $430 per ticket.
Government agency logos that initially appeared on the event’s sponsorship materials were later removed, with officials subsequently denying any financial involvement in the conference, which promotes Catholic values. Mexico operates as a secular nation, and its constitution prohibits government sponsorship of religious gatherings. President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the controversy during a recent press briefing, stating that the state’s governor owes the public an explanation.
The timing and location of the event have drawn particular criticism given Mexico’s ongoing battle with gender-based violence. Government statistics reveal that 756 women died violently during the first two months of this year alone, with most cases classified as accidents. Additionally, authorities recorded 2,812 rapes and received more than 162,000 emergency calls related to domestic and gender-based violence during the same period.
Luz Leon, speaking on behalf of the advocacy organization Balance, confirmed to reporters that her group along with 35 other associations have submitted an official complaint demanding transparency about the funding situation and calling for an investigation into the officials involved.
“Authorities frequently claim there’s insufficient funding to help victims in Guadalajara and throughout Jalisco, a region plagued by extreme violence and numerous disappearances of young people,” Leon stated. “It’s extremely troubling that rather than allocating resources to tackle these critical problems, they’re being diverted for this purpose.”
Leon further criticized the event’s messaging, explaining, “They are encouraging gender-based violence and promoting narratives that reinforce discrimination through prejudice and harmful stereotypes.” She referenced the conference’s self-promotion as a response to what organizers call “the assault on masculinity.”
The speaker lineup includes Peterson and Mexican entertainer Eduardo Verastegui, a conservative activist, both known for advocating traditional gender expectations for women. The roster also features former Barcelona soccer team captain Carles Puyol and ex-Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Kaka, though their participation remains unconfirmed, alongside several Catholic clergy members.
Documentation from Balance shows that as of April 8, the conference’s sponsor list displayed logos from Jalisco, Guadalajara, and Zapopan local governments, as well as the prominent Catholic Anahuac University Network and Tajin, the company behind Mexico’s widely popular chile-lime seasoning. By the following week, all these logos had been removed from promotional materials.
Neither the event organizers nor the previously listed sponsors provided responses to media inquiries. Local news outlets quoted the conference director as claiming the gathering aims to benefit society rather than harm others.
The three-day conference is taking place in Guadalajara, which is scheduled to host multiple World Cup soccer matches in June. Organizers are marketing it as Latin America’s most significant masculinity conference.
