'If You Can Keep It': What ‘Masculinism’ Means For America

'If You Can Keep It': What ‘Masculinism’ Means For America

From 1A by NPR

June 8, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode explores the growing conservative movement of masculinism and its implications for democracy and women's rights in America.

Last week marked the anniversary of Congress passing the 19th Amendment. In 1919, that Constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote — although it only applied in practice to white women for decades. Poll taxes, literacy tests, and Jim Crow-era state laws prevented Black women from voting. Fast forward 107 years, and a growing conservative movement now wants to repeal the 19th Amendment and the other hard-won rights of women and people of color. It’s called “masculinism,” and its goal is to combat what its believers see as a “feminized” U.S. society. In this edition of “If You Can Keep It,” we explore how a fringe movement on the right is gaining momentum thanks to its connections to the Trump administration. What do followers of this movement want? And what does it mean for our democracy if a growing movement in conservative politics wants to re-institute patriarchy? Find more of our programs online . Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Topics covered

  • masculinism
  • women's rights
  • conservative movement
  • 19th Amendment
  • patriarchy
  • democracy

Keywords

  • masculinism
  • 19th Amendment
  • women's rights
  • conservative politics
  • patriarchy
  • Trump administration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

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