7 Male Celebrity Feminists Who Make Us Proud
Feminism: It’s not just for ladies. There are plenty of guys out there who also believe that women should be treated equally, and are happy to carry around the “F” label publicly. And some of those male feminists just happen to be famous. This week, Joseph Gordon-Levitt pretty much nailed the definition of feminism, and won over the whole Internet in the process. He joins an elite group of male celebrities who we’d like to tip our hats to for openly supporting women’s rights. We also hope to see even more male celebrities speaking out, because women aren’t the only ones with the power to make a huge impact. Here’s a rundown of some famous guys who’ve spoken out about gender equality and made us love them even more.
1. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
In an interview with The Daily Beast, the apple-cheeked Don Jon actor confirmed that he thinks of himself as a feminist. “What [feminism] means to me is that you don’t let your gender define who you are—you can be who you want to be, whether you’re a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, whatever,” Gordon-Levitt said. “However you want to define yourself, you can do that and should be able to do that, and no category ever really describes a person because every person is unique. That, to me, is what ‘feminism’ means. So yes, I’d absolutely call myself a feminist. . . I’m a believer that if everyone has a fair chance to be what they want to be and do what they want to do, it’s better for everyone. It benefits society as a whole.” See? Nailed it.
2. Daniel Radcliffe
Not only is the Harry Potter alum a self-labeled feminist, he recently told The Stylist that he actively advocates for women to have meatier roles in films he’s involved in. “There are certainly more female writers now than there were but the fact remains, most female parts are written by men,” he said. “I think—I hope—the film industry is becoming a lot more balanced.”
3. Patrick Stewart
The Star Trek actor spoke out for the Ring The Bell campaign in an effort to end violence against women. “The truth is that domestic violence and violence against women touch many of us,” he said. “Each of us must examine—and change—the ways in which our own behavior might contribute to, enable, ignore, or excuse all such forms of violence.”
4. John Legend
The crooner took is a step further when fundraising for feminist charity organization Chime for Change, invoking all men to become feminists. “All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered—it leads to a better society,” he said. And he’s right.
5. Ashton Kutcher
During his press tour for No Strings Attached, Kutcher spoke about his work against human trafficking, and the cost women pay for their sexuality. “I do a lot of work on human trafficking and I connect a lot with girls that end up in this ‘trade’ if you will, partially because of a lack of education about sex in their country,” he said. “I think that sometimes we get to make films that sort of open things up, things that people can talk about. . . To create a movie with a female lead that is empowered with her own sexuality, I think is a really powerful thing. And I think if we could give teenage people something to think about from a sex perspective, I would say it would be to open up a conversation where women are empowered with their own sexual experiences from an educational level as well as an entertainment one.”
6. Blair Underwood
The actor spoke out about reproductive rights as far back as 1992. ““You can’t live in this world, obviously, without coming into contact with women. I mean, a woman is my mother, gave me life, gave me sisters. I have a girlfriend I love dearly. All of that comes into play,” he said. “It’s not about abortion being right or wrong. It’s about having that choice to decide what a person should do with their own body.”
7. Mark Ruffalo
The star gave a speech last summer at a pro-choice rally in Jackson, Mississippi about his mother’s illegal abortion. “My own mother fought to make herself more than a possession,” he said. “She lived her life as a mother who chose when she would have children, and a wife who could earn a living if she so chose. I want my daughters to enjoy that same choice.”
