Men are more tolerant of the other side than women are of their own

The Eternally Radical Idea with Greg Lukianoff (blog) ^ | October 15, 2025 | Chapin Lenthall-Cleary

[karpov]

Suppose you’re a controversial left-wing speaker. Who do you think would be more likely to let you voice your opinions on campus: a slightly conservative man or a democratic socialist woman?

Now suppose you’re a controversial right-wing speaker. Who do you think would be more likely to let you voice your opinions on campus: a slightly liberal man or a somewhat conservative woman?

It may seem obvious that, regardless of gender, someone with a similar ideology would be more tolerant of your views. But recent data gathered by FIRE suggests that’s not always the case.

Amazingly, it turns out that men are often more tolerant of the opposite side than women are of their own side.

The data comes from FIRE’s annual College Free Speech Rankings, which is designed to gauge the state of free speech on American college campuses as well as student attitudes toward free speech. This includes gauging students’ feelings towards allowing various hypothetical speakers on campus, which we can break down by various characteristics. When evaluating the data based on gender, some shocking trends arise.

Men are, on average, significantly more tolerant and less censorious than women. By contrast, while political affiliation makes people more biased towards speakers on their side, it affects their overall willingness to let speakers speak, regardless of ideology, very little. However, regardless of party or ideology, men are significantly more tolerant than women, so much so that the gender difference dominates the ideology difference. This effect is even more acute in the extremes: men are over 3.5 times more likely than women to be “perfectly tolerant” of opposing views — meaning they would definitely allow any campus speakers, including those they disagree with.

[lee martell]

Now. that’s funny!

[bk1000]

“Men look at other men as potential fellow soldiers. Women look at each other as competition.”

Truth!

[Sicon]

"It's the bitches that'll get yas"

[Cinnamontea]

Despite their usual differences, men and women agree on one thing. Neither of them trust women.............

Utter nonsense. And speak for yourself.

[Cinnamontea]

Women don’t have female friends; they have rivals.

You're not talking about women, you're talking about girls. As so many little boys on FR do.

[P-Marlowe]

Truisms are not always true. But generally true enough.

[pawpawrick]

I have a thought that one reason black men are so obsessed with white women is that if they cheat on a black woman they could very well get shot because the women are every bit as violent as the dudes.

[KarlInOhio]

It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-out of unorthodoxy.

George Orwell, 1984

[Verginius Rufus]

In ancient Rome, the censors were censorious. Good thing they were always men.

[Harpotoo]

There’s a reason they are called bitches!
The worst they can do is call us bastards;-)

[T.B. Yoits]

You're not talking about women, you're talking about girls. As so many little boys on FR do.

Yeah - Not All Women Are Like That (NAWALT)

[Billthedrill]

Some great graphs at the source - looked at from several different angles, the bias persists. This isn’t clickbait, somebody’s done his homework. Thanks for posting.

[Henry Hnyellar]

It’s all women until it’s no women. Their rules, amirite?

[Henry Hnyellar]

It’s all women until it’s no women. Their rules, amirite?