Do you have to be a man to be able to be a freemason?

Answer 1

There are three types of Freemasonry in the world today:

By far the largest is "masculine Freemasonry", and is typically the Freemasonry with which everyone is familiar. These Lodges do not allow females to be made a Mason - one must be a man to petition and receive degrees.

There are also a small number of "Co-Masonic" Lodges which welcome both men and women as Masons. These are termed "irregular" by the predominant masculine Masonic bodies.

The smallest group is "feminine Freemasonry", which only welcomes women as Masons. Feminine Masonry is also considered "irregular" by the predominant masculine Masonic bodies.

The small number of Co-Masonic and Feminine Masonic Lodges are not due to any type of repression or stigmatization, but rather an apparent lack of interest on the part of females in becoming Freemasons.