Feminism, by definition, is the social, economic and political equality among the sexes. However, although the prefix “fem-“ is at the literal and metaphorical root of the word, by no means is feminism exclusively for femmes. Plenty of men, young and old, are as avid supporters and proponents of feminism as many well-known feminists, like Gloria Steinem.
Equality among the sexes – that means equal and fair treatment for both women and men. Keeping that in mind, like the variety of famous female celebrities, writers, poets, politicians and more who have taken a stance on feminism, their male counterparts have taken an equally as vocal and active stance.
“When women are empowered, they immeasurably improve the lives of everyone around them. We men need to recognize the part we play too. Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve,” Prince Harry said – and he was right. Affecting positive change for members of one gender in turn affects positive change for the other – the relationship is symbiotic. Everybody wins when every gender is treated with the same respect and dignity.
Prince Harry isn’t the only famous or royal figure who has been vocal about his sentiments towards the fair treatment of the sexes. He and fellow public figures are active proponents of the ideology.
There is no forgetting well-known actor Ryan Gosling – whose popular pro-feminist “hey girl” memes that have taken the Internet by storm. Gosling even has a Tumblr blog dedicated to his witty and inspiring memes. However, these cleverly designed memes aren’t the sole extent of Gosling’s interest in feminism.
The actor has previously opened up about his sentiments regarding the ideology, especially now, as he is the father of a baby girl. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Gosling spoke on the powerful female characters he has in his life, both on and off the screen. “I grew up with strong women and the amount of them grows exponentially as time goes on, in my world,” he said. “And that’s my reality.”
And lest we forget the famous feminist moment when Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau said, “Because it’s 2015,” in response to a question about his cabinet – which is an equal ratio of men to women.
If those three famous names don’t cut it for you, President Barack Obama, singer John Legend, James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, and many more men across the globe, both in and out of the public eye, are vocal feminists.
You don’t need to be a woman to believe in feminism. To reiterate my earlier point, the raw definition of the term is equality of all kinds for all genders. Whether you are a man or a woman, everyone has a mother, a sister or a daughter – and regardless of your gender, someone in your life can be affected by the unfair or fair treatment of women. Even in the most minute ways, nobody loses when the latter is achieved.
So wave your feminist flag high and take a page from the books of the open-minded feminists listed above. “If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place,” Grammy winning singer John Legend said. “We are better off when women are empowered — it leads to a better society.”