When we think about feminists, it’s a sad truth that more often than not, the majority of society has a kind of bra burning, hairy armpit woman with strong opinions and a man-hating attitude.
We get with the program people, because that is not true anymore (if it was ever true in the first place). Everybody can, and should be, a feminist. Feminism isn’t about man-hating at all, it’s about equality for a group of people who make up half of our society, and who wouldn’t want that?
So with that in mind, we want to celebrate some of the male feminists out there. These are celebrities who aren’t afraid to stand up and call out the haters, because women are worth fighting for.
1. Karl Stefanovic
Television personality Karl Stefanovic is a familiar face in Australia, but he hit international headlines back in 2014 when he revealed he had undertaken an experiment to tackle sexism head on. Stefanovic wore the same navy blue suit for an entire year as a ‘protest-prank’ against the double standards that his female colleagues deal with. He decided to do the year-long experiment when reflecting on the constant criticism and advice that his female workmates get about their fashion sense and hair styles.
“I’ve worn the same suit on air for a year… Women are judged much more harshly and keenly for what they do, what they say and what they wear,” Stefanovic said. What a cool guy.
2. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling is only one of the famous Ryans that we love to crush over, but he stands out because he’s been such a powerhouse of feminist support in recent years. He’s unintentionally become the face of internet feminism, particularly on Tumblr where the Feminist Ryan Gosling Meme is spreading like wildfire. But he’s also the son of a single mum, full of hearty praise of his female co-stars, and known for choosing films that have strong female characters because, according to him, “there are strong female characters in my life”. Nice one.