In attendence at the historic event were brothers and sisters from the Grand Orient of France, George Washington Union of Freemasons, Grand Lodge Hiram Abif, Le Droit Human, Women’s Grand Lodge of Belgium, Grand Lodge of Maryland, and the Grand Lodge of West Virginia.
Embracing the principle of gender equality, the Grand Orient USA has recognized since its inception both Mixed-Gender Free-Masonry (men and women) and Female Free-Masonry (all women). It is true that the 1723 Book of Constitutions of the Free-Masons excluded the entrance of women, but this was within the social milieu and clubbing practices of London common in 1723. That having been said, the best of recent academic scholarship has shown that in a number of situations, and at a variety of places, women have historically constituted a presence in Free-Masonry.In the eighteenth century, women in Free-Masonry in France were largely confined to a so-called “adoptive” Masonry—Les loges d’Adoption. The adoptive Lodges developed steadily throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On October 21, 1945, as women and men returned from fighting in World War II, Anne-Marie Gentily, presiding over a meeting of assembled Lodges of Adoption in Paris, France, announced their reconstitution as l’Union Maçonnique Féminine. On September 22, 1952, l’Union Maçonnique Féminine became the Grande Loge Féminine de France. This is the oldest and largest all-female Masonic body in the world with its roots set deeply in the eighteenth century.
An additional important illustration is that on January 14, 1882, Maria Deraismes, a journalist advocate of women’s and children’s rights, was initiated in the Lodge Les Libres Penseurs, in Le Pecq, France. Eleven years later, she, along with Georges Martin, and others, created the Grande Loge Symbolique Ecossaise de France, Le Droit Humain, the forerunner of the international Masonic body for men and women called Le Droit Humain.
In the 21st century, women are more and more enjoying the same rights and duties as men; they pursue successful professional careers, and some of them are political figures, ministers in governments, or heads of state. Therefore, we believe that men and women are complementary, in Free-Masonry as well as in everyday life, and that the inclusion of women can only be a benefit to all.
In the totality of the global community of Free-Masonry, the Craft can no longer ignore half of the population in the world. To sincerely claim that universal Freemasonry promotes the advancement of human kind, we can no longer afford to discriminate and exclude women from this noble pursuit without maintaining hypocrisy and a double standard. We have already removed the walls of discrimination against those who choose not to believe in God or gods; gender is the next logical extension of this philosophical position. The search for light can only be accomplished through Harmony and Diversity.
Therefore, the Grand Orient of the United States of America is pleased to announce that effective immediately it will begin chartering male, female and mixed-gender lodges. Existing male-only lodges may choose to become mixed or remain as male only. Women may also petition to form female lodges. Given our philosophical alignment and treaty of amity with the Grand Orient of France, this change is consistent with and in support of its recent decision to charter mixed-gender lodges in Europe.
These changes have been implemented to expand the spirit of friendship and solidarity among all Masons, and to promote the brotherhood and sisterhood of all human beings.
http://www.gomasons.org/first-female-freemason/
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