National Organization for Women

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist group founded on June 30, 1966 in Washington, D.C., by women attending the Third National Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women. Among the 28 founders were Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique (1963), who became NOW's first president, and Rev. Pauli Murray, the first African-American woman Episcopal priest. Molly Yard was president from 1987 to 1991. During the 1970s NOW promoted the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 1966 they introduced the "Statement of Purpose". In this document they outline the basic demands and ideals of the American feminist movement of the time. The organization's membership is not merely limited to women, and has had famous "male feminists" as members.

Criticism

The National Organization for Women has been subject to criticism from many whose belief systems differ from their agenda, in particular pro-life activists. Some critics, especially those claiming to represent the male perspective (such as articles in Men's News Daily by writer Robert F. Gay) say that NOW is anti-male. The organization has been criticized by men's and father's rights groups for denouncing "deadbeat dads." NOW's support for "The Vagina Monologues" is another example of controversy. The organization has also supported feminists like Mary Daly who barred men from her classrooms,and Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin, who claimed that pornography encourages violence against women. Some critics felt that NOW's support of former President Bill Clinton over Juanita Broddrick, Kathleen Willey, and Paula Jones indicated that NOW had lost the authority to lead a women's rights movement, suggesting that NOW only criticized Republicans and conservatives for women's issues. Considering NOW's opposition to Clarence Thomas, based on unproven allegations of sexual harassment compared to proven sexual acts between Bill Clinton and a suboordinate, some compare NOW to the Ku Klux Klan, which also selectively condemned sexuality of black males.

Related Topics:
Men's News Daily - Robert F. Gay - The Vagina Monologues - Mary Daly - Catharine MacKinnon - Andrea Dworkin - Bill Clinton - Juanita Broddrick - Kathleen Willey - Paula Jones - Clarence Thomas - Ku Klux Klan

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Other critics point out that NOW usually only supports women with liberal-left positions, for example women who have pro-life views on abortion are opposed by NOW the same as men, leading some to question how NOW can claim to speak for all women.

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