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Feminist Men

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Brown Eyes:
I thought this thread could be a discussion on the role of men in the long struggle for women's rights and gender equality.  In all struggles and victories on the road to improved women's rights there have always been important male allies, leaders, organizers and supporters. 

In almost any relevant cause it's possible to find fascinating historical examples.  To cite two almost random examples of the top of my head, Frederick Douglass was not only an important abolishionist and pioneer civil rights activist in the 19th century, he was also a an active and powerful advocate for women's suffrage.  And, John Stuart Mill's treatise "On the Subjugation of Woman" written in 1869, was a very important document and step in the struggle for women's suffrage in England (he was also married to an important suffragist named Harriet Taylor).

But, it's also important to examine the relationship between the genders/sexes in current debates and struggles.

delalluvia:
Thanks, atz, for that info as sadly I don't believe I know of any others. 

There had to be, certainly, because back in the past, women who fought for women's rights had no legal standing in society - they couldn't vote, they couldn't own or inherit property, etc., - so there had to be men they convinced with their reasoning and men who believed as they did to support and push through changes in law and society and social institutions whether it be their husbands, fathers or mentors.

Brown Eyes:
Well, one of my own pet interests is the history of women's suffrage, so a lot of the examples I can think of have to do with that subject.  And, there were a good number of important men involved in the movements in the U.S. and in England.  I know less about the details of suffrage history for most other countries, but I'd assume there have been a spectrum of important men involved in this issue in a range of countries.  I'm sure there are tons of examples of men involved in other feminist causes too.  But, again, based on my own interests the examples I'll most likely come up with are suffrage related.

I once posted this example from the movement in the U.S. in another thread somewhere here at BetterMost:



Max Eastman (shown to the left with the white cane) founded the Mens Equal Suffrage Leauge in 1910 and later became the President of the Men's Equal Suffrage League of New York.  His sister Crystal Eastman was also a really prominent suffragist.  Max was very dapper (in many photos he looks sort of like a movie star type) and was apparently a well-known figure in Greenwich Village.  But, his main interests were progressive social causes and politics and women's suffrage fit into this type of interest for him.

This is clearly a picture of him marching in a suffrage parade.  I think many of the big, organized parades across the country would usually feature a men's section.

Max is just one example.  I'll post more as this thread grows.

:)

serious crayons:

--- Quote from: atz75 on November 23, 2008, 08:21:59 pm ---Max Eastman (shown to the left with the white cane) founded the Mens Equal Suffrage Leauge in 1910 and later became the President of the Men's Equal Suffrage League of New York.  His sister Crystal Eastman was also a really prominent suffragist.  Max was very dapper (in many photos he looks sort of like a movie star type) and was apparently a well-known figure in Greenwich Village.  But, his main interests were progressive social causes and politics and women's suffrage fit into this type of interest for him.
--- End quote ---

I just looked up Max Eastman and he sounds very interesting. Was he related to Linda Eastman?

Brown Eyes:

--- Quote from: serious crayons on November 23, 2008, 11:14:34 pm ---I just looked up Max Eastman and he sounds very interesting. Was he related to Linda Eastman?



--- End quote ---

I don't know....  I don't know who Linda Eastman is... (**blushes**).  Do tell! :)

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