nomasboston

The National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) began as a spontaneous, loose-knit social movement in the early 1970s.

• With the beginning of the second wave of American feminism in the late 1960s, “anti-sexist” men’s groups, men’s articles, and other writing about pro-feminist men began to appear.
• In 1975, a group of men who were enrolled in a women’s studies course at the University of Tennessee held what they announced as “The First National Conference on Men and Masculinity,” in Knoxville, TN.
• Thus began the tradition of holding annual National Conferences on Men and Masculinity (M&M).
• At the 1981 M&M in Boston, it became clear that some kind of organization was needed if the M&M tradition was to continue.
• A national membership organization was formed; and in 1982, its members elected an 18-person national council to provide the collective leadership of the anti-sexist men’s movement.In 1983 the name “National Organization for Changing Men” (NOCM) was chosen; in 1990 the present name, “National Organization for Men Against Sexism” (NOMAS), was adopted.
• Supported and co-sponsored by NOMAS since 1982, the national M&M conferences have occurred annually.
• NOMAS was the first organized men’s movement since the beginning of the second wave of American feminism chartered to challenge the construct of patriarchy.

It remains the oldest and the most progressive network of activist men and women who share a multi-dimensional anti-sexist perspective about men and masculinity.

NOMAS recently celebrated its 35th year at their National Conference on Men & Masculinity (M&M), and the 22nd Annual Men’s Studies Association Meeting in partnership with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) 14th National Conference on Domestic Violence in Anaheim, California.Stating that “although progress has been made in recent times in the struggle for gender and Read the rest of this entry »

The National Organization for Men Against Sexism is an activist organization of men and women supporting positive changes for men.

• NOMAS advocates a perspective that is pro-feminist, gay affirmative, anti-racist, dedicated to enhancing men’s lives, and committed to justice on a broad range of social issues including class, age, religion, and physical abilities.
• The organization affirms that working to make this nation’s ideals of equality substantive is the finest expression of what it means to be men.
• We believe that the new opportunities becoming available to Read the rest of this entry »