National Coalition of Free Men

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The National Coalition of Free Men (NCFM) is a non-profit educational & civil rights organization based in the United States. The NCFM looks at the ways sex discrimination affects men and boys. The organization has sponsored conferences, adult education, demonstrations and lawsuits. NCFM is the United State's oldest and largest generalist men's rights organization (Although they have had members operating from Guam, the association is based almost entirely in the US). It professes to being politically neutral, neither conservative nor liberal.

1 Aims of the Coalition
2 Foundation
3 Growth
4 Today
5 References
6 External Links

[edit] Aims of the Coalition

(see the article Men's rights for a more general overview of topics)

As part of a global men's movement for gender equality, raises awareness about and combats sexism against men in family courts, domestic violence policies, criminal sentencing, military conscription, media, education, public health policies and other areas, using public speaking, media, lawsuits, legislative advocacy, rallies, tabling and other activism tools.

– NCFM Los Angeles Chapter Mission Statement, ^[1]

[edit] Foundation

Free Men, Inc. was founded in Columbia, MD in January 1977. The name "Free Men" was used as a verb (as in Free Men from unfair divorce laws^[2]). By-laws were formally adopted in July. The four founding members were: Richard Haddad, Dennis Gilbert, Allan Scheib and Allen Foreman. Richard Haddad authored the "Free Men Philosophy" which included 26 items that he felt men should be freed from. These represented options. The first newsletter was named "Options".

This early chapter concentrated on forming "support groups" for men as counterparts to "consciousness raising groups" tailored to women.

Initial national interest resulted from appearances by author Herb Goldberg, PhD., author of the Hazards of Being Male. By 1980 the Free Men. Inc. organization in Columbia had begun to disintegrate. Nevertheless, undaunted by local circumstance in Columbia, others in different parts of the country began forming groups associated with the Maryland organization. Two new groups formed chapters in Boston, Massachusetts (Headed by Frederic Hayward, founder of Men's Rights, Inc. A strong supporter was Robert A. Sides who went on to represent NCFM on national TV/radio talk shows) and Nassau County, NY. The strongest of the two was in Nassau County. As a result it received all of Free Men, Inc.’s records as it became clear that the Maryland group was going to fold.

[edit] Growth

The Nassau County Chapter was formed in early 1980. In February 1981 the Nassau County, NY chapter began its own newsletter called "Transitions." By October of 1981 the chapter had been responsible for inspiring and forming other groups in Suffolk County, NY and New Milford, CT.

On Saturday, October 24, 1981 the Nassau County chapter produced its first conference. It was funded by Adelphi University and was called "Freeing Men From The Macho Mold: Options For Men In The 1980’s." The conference was followed up the next day by Free Men’s first convention, which was attended by representatives from various groups. Transitions became the national newsletter.

Out of the convention was born the "Coalition." Tom Williamson and Naomi Penner organized the convention, organized the national body and are credited with founding the "Coalition." Tom Williamson was elected President and Naomi Penner was elected Vice President.

Incorporation proceedings were begun and the coalition became official in December 1981. The incorporation was amended in 1982 to further clarify objectives. The original intent was for the governing body to be called, "Free Men." However, after the organization was informed that someone else in New York owned that name the organization considered such words as "Union" and "Association" before settling on "Coalition." The governing body was formally incorporated as "The Coalition of Free Men, Inc."

The word "National" was added in 1990 over frustration with media which kept referring to Free Men as a local group based in a small town. The word National is an informal AKA registered with the IRS for tax purposes, but is otherwise unofficial to this day. The name of the corporation has never been legally changed.