In this day and age, we need as many feminist allies as possible. Unfortunately, with the beginning of the #MeToo movement, it’s pretty clear that a lot of our favorite male celebrities are part of the problem. Whether it’s Louis C.K., Nick Carter, or James Franco — it seems that trash men are everywhere. Luckily for us, it seems like there are still a few good ones left. These men have been outspoken about their support for women, and have shown it in a multitude of ways. So, here are 18 male celebrity feminists that give us a glimmer of hope.
17. Prince Harry
Sadly for us, Prince Harry is now taken, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still appreciate him for being another ally to women worldwide. He has often used his position of power to discuss women’s rights and made a speech at the 2013 CHIME for Change concerts. He said: “When women are empowered, they immeasurably improve the lives of everyone around them — their families, their communities, and their countries.” A super-handsome prince who cares about empowering women? We’re into it.
16. Terry Crews
Recently, Terry Crews has been one of the celebrity feminists joining the #MeToo movement. As the news about Harvey Weinstein broke, Terry Crews immediately jumped to the defense of his accusers. However, it soon came to light that Terry was more than just an ally, he was a victim of sexual harassment as well. He took to Twitter to tell his story, writing: “I just kept hearing … ‘Oh boy, these women, here they come, they just want attention and a payday,’ And I got angry. I got really angry, because I said, ‘They’re being dismissed like this stuff is happening, it happens, it happened to me.’” Terry’s incredible bravery and support of women is seriously heartening.
15. Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo is one of our fave celebrity feminists because he’s incredibly politically active. He doesn’t only claim to be a feminist, he proves it time and time again, while also addressing tons of other important social issues. He’s spoken passionately about his pro-choice views, he’s discussed gender inequality in Hollywood during his red carpet interviews, and constantly talks about how important feminism and its history is for women today. He’s also been a huge champion for diversity in Hollywood regarding race. Snaps for you, Mark.
14. Stephen Colbert
It’s no secret that Stephen Colbert is a political dude, and a lot of his recent commentary has been about feminism. That’s why Stephen’s next on our list of male celebrity feminists that we love. On his show, he talks about everything from sexual harassment in the workplace, the pay gap, and consistently includes important feminist activists and leaders on his show. Comedy aside, Stephen Colbert is serious about gender equality.
13. Antonio Banderas
Like these other feminists, Antonio Banderas has found an amazing way to capitalize on his fame and fortune. He has been a vocal supporter of women, and in particular, survivors of domestic violence. Banderas has done a lot of work with causes such as the UN’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign and even took part in a PSA. He stated: “Two million women and girls are trafficked each year into prostitution, forced labor, slavery or servitude… These women are our sisters and our daughters, our grandmothers and our mothers. This is unacceptable. And it must stop now.” It’s always good to see a celeb taking a stand.
12. John Legend
John Legend can truly do it all. He sings, he’s an incredible husband, and of course — he’s a feminist. Both he and wife Chrissy Teigen are incredibly vocal about their political beliefs and passion for social justice. In one interview with Rack, he talked about how all people should be feminists, regardless of whether or not they have daughters or mothers that they care about. While we appreciate Antonio Banderas’s words, there was something in his rhetoric that needed changing, and John Legend is here to explain it! “I feel like you should have enough empathy for other people that you don’t need someone to be in your family to think they’re valuable. I thought of myself as a feminist before I had a daughter and before I was married.” Say it again for the people in the back!
11. Will Smith
As a well-known actor and former rapper, Will Smith is also on our list of celebrity feminists! His wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith and children, Jaden and Willow, are extremely progressive and vocal about their beliefs in gender equality and self-expression. About his daughter Willow, he’s quoted as saying: “If I teach her that I’m in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she’s going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world… She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she’s going out with a command that is hers.” Um, Dad of the Year award goes to…
10. Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers is another guy who’s done the work to set him apart from the masses as an ally to women. He has done a lot of work discussing issues like sexual assault, rape culture, and the recent scandals rocking Hollywood. Granted, picking a man to host the Golden Globes at a time when people are trying to address the misogyny in Hollywood was controversial, but many think Seth did a great job and he did, at least, poke fun at his role during the show. He addressed the irony of his position as host and wasn’t afraid to make some people in the room uncomfortable by talking about the issues at hand.
9. Barack Obama
In case you forgot, we once had a president who can now join the ranks of other male celebrity feminists. Granted, with a wife like Michelle, it’s impossible for Barack Obamanot to be a feminist. He even wrote an exclusive piece for Glamour magazine on why exactly he’s a feminist. He talked about the wage gap, stereotypes, social inequality, racism, and harassment. One of our fave quotes? “We know that these stereotypes affect how girls see themselves starting at a very young age, making them feel that if they don’t look or act a certain way, they are somehow less worthy. In fact, gender stereotypes affect all of us, regardless of our gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.” Praise.
8. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Thank goodness, another one of our favorite male feminists also happens to be a total heartthrob. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s biggest claim to feminism came when he posted a video on YouTube a few years ago entitled “RE: Feminism.” In it, he talks about growing up in a feminist household and learning about second-wave feminism from his mom, who was a stay-at-home mom. He says “For me, as a feminist, it should be up to the woman to decide if she wants to be a mom… If that’s what she wants to do full-time, that’s awesome, that’s what my mom did. But if she wants to go out and have a career apart from being a mom, then she should be able to do that as well.” Love it!
7. Ryan Gosling
Thank goodness, one of the sexiest men in Hollywood is also on our list of male celebrity feminists. Ryan Gosling speaks often about the problems with gender inequality in both Hollywood and in everyday life. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he was quoted as saying: “I grew up with women so I’ve always been aware of it. When my mother and I walked to the grocery store, men would circle the block in cars… It’s our time as men to be on the receiving end of the stick.” Ryan thinks it’s time for men to reflect on their actions? We think so, too!
6. Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg is not only one of the funniest guys in Hollywood, he’s also someone who’s been incredibly outspoken when it comes to women’s rights. In the world of comedy, especially, women are constantly told they’re not as qualified as men (um, ew) and Andy has clearly expressed his revulsion at this idea. In an interview with Glamour, he said what we were all thinking: “It’s crazy. Since there have been men and women, there have been funny women… f*cking idiot-ass men keep saying that women aren’t funny. It makes me crazy. I find it disgusting and offensive every time.” Our thoughts exactly!
5. Jason Sudeikis
As a man who’s constantly surrounded by strong, smart, and funny women, it makes sense that Jason Sudeikis joins the ranks of excellent celebrity feminists. But, don’t take our word for it, his wife Olivia Wilde constantly praises Jason for his feminist values. In one interview, she said: “In terms of feminism, yes, I like to think he’s already a little feminist. And he is. He’s a really good guy. I want to promote the idea that the definition of feminism is equality and it’s something that’s not difficult to teach children because they are born with that sensibility.” We can’t wait to see their children turn into tiny little feminists!
4. Jon Hamm
While Jon Hamm may play the evil, womanizing Don Draper in Mad Men, he’s actually another male feminist doing WORK in Hollywood. He has spoken at pretty great lengths about the society in which Mad Men takes place, and the kind of poor treatment and abuse the women went through at the time and beyond. He’s quoted as saying “The women who did work were treated as second-class citizens.” He’s also been a vocal advocate for sexual assault survivors at a Rape Treatment Center in Beverly Hills. We love to see it!
3. Justin Baldoni
You may know Justin Baldoni from Jane The Virgin, but we know him as another man in Hollywood doing his part to end gender-based inequality and violence. If you somehow missed it, Justin did an incredible Ted Talk on toxic masculinity and feminism called “Why I’m Done Trying To Be ‘Man Enough.’” It’s incredibly insightful and thought-provoking, and we definitely need more men like this one in Hollywood. He begins the talk by saying “The worst insult you could give to a six-year-old boy is to call him a ‘girl.’ That’s the problem — that’s where it starts.” If you haven’t seen the whole thing, go check it out ASAP.
2. Donald Glover
Donald Glover has never been one to shy away from complex issues such as race and gender. That’s why he’s another one of our fave male celebrity feminists. In both his standup, his TV show, Atlanta, and his personal interviews — he’s a guy who cares about making the world a better place for all. While he’s gone under fire for misogynistic lyrics in his rap music, it seems like Glover is overwhelmingly a pretty feminist dude. In one of his standups, he addresses the “crazy ex-girlfriend” stereotype and how ridiculous it is. Mostly, because “crazy ex-boyfriends” are actually dangerous and violent. Also, Atlanta is a progressive gem of a TV show. Keep it up, Donald!
1. Harry Styles
As someone with tons of young women looking up to him, it’s important that Harry Styles is on our list of celebrity feminists. He proved this best when he was interviewed by Rolling Stone and was asked a pretty obnoxious question. When asked if he would try to sell himself to a more “serious” and “mature” audience, Harry replied: “Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music – short for popular, right? – have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That’s not up to you to say.” He also was quoted saying, “Young girls like The Beatles. You’re going to tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it?” Damn, kid. He’s also posted on behalf of #HeForShe (the United Nations campaign for the advancement of women), AAAND when asked if One Direction had a “dibs” system for women he said, “We feel that objectifies women and that’s not really what we’re about.” Obsessed.