Freemasonry: The Naked Truth

Should you join a Lodge which admits both sexes or not? This question deserves a book all to itself, it has been a constant subject of debate over the years. We can even say it is a burning question. To begin with, there are three types of Lodge. There are Lodges which are exclusively for men, others exclusively for women, and “mixed” Lodges. But there are variations on these three combinations. There are women’s Lodges which accept visiting Brothers and those which refuse. There are men’s Lodges which accept visiting Sisters, but refuse to initiate them. There are also men’s Loges which finish up by becoming mixed.[1]

The choice is however not as open in English-speaking countries as in Europe. The United Grand Lodge of England - U.G.L.E. - which was the first Grand Lodge to lay down the rules of eligible candidates in the early 18^th Century, decided to limit membership to men only and they have not changed the rules since then. The dissemination of Freemasonry in Great Britain and abroad has mainly been on this original model, at least until the early 20^th Century.

Another rule was the obligation to believe in God. However, on the Continent, and in France to begin with, this rule was soon discarded, and independent Grand Lodges saw the day. However, they kept the “men-only” rule. And it was only from the early 20^th Century that women were able to become fully fledged Freemasons. All in all, men still have a greater choice than women in choosing which Grand Lodge to apply to.