6.

It’s Still a Boys’ Club…Mostly

Traditionally, Freemason membership has only been open to men. In the group’s “1723 Constitutions,” a kind of guidebook to the organization by James Anderson, written under the aegis of the Grand Lodge of England, women and atheists were excluded along with enslaved people.

Now, “masons come from all walks of life, provided they can afford to pay the annual subscription,” says Révauger. But while women are allowed to join an affiliated organization called The Order of the Eastern Star, and some lodges recognize female members, “freemasonry is not as universal as it claims, since in many countries…women and atheists are still excluded.” In the U.S. and Europe, it can vary city to city, lodge to lodge.

Since there is no national organization in the United States, “grand lodges in each state are a court of last resort,” says Jacob. This has led to some controversial rulings: “Particularly in southern states, Freemasonry remains segregated,” says Jacob. “In the United States, several Grand Lodges still refuse to recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry, i.e., African American Masons,” adds Révauger.