Warren Thomas Farrell (born June 26, 1943) is an American author, educator, and activist who has written about gender, particularly men's issues. Initially active in the second wave feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, Farrell was a board member of the National Organization for Women in New York City and authored The Liberated Man (1974), which explored how traditional gender roles constrained both men and women. He obtained his doctorate in political science on the topic in 1974. His role-reversal workshops in the 1970s and early 1980s brought him mainstream attention. Over time, he grew critical of feminism and shifted his focus toward highlighting the disadvantages and challenges faced by men.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Farrell established himself as a leading voice in the emerging men's movement. His books Why Men Are the Way They Are (1986) and The Myth of Male Power (1993) argued that men are systematically disadvantaged in areas such as family law, education, health, and cultural representation. Farrell contended that men, often seen as "success objects," bore hidden costs of traditional masculinity, from hazardous work to military conscription, while facing rising cultural hostility. These writings were widely reviewed and translated.
Farrell's later books and talks broadened into broader relationship advice and advocacy on men's issues. Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say (1999) and Father and Child Reunion (2001) addressed communication and parenting, with Farrell calling for greater recognition of fathers as caregivers. His subsequent books, including Why Men Earn More (2005) and Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men? (2008, with James P. Sterba), continued to argue that pay disparities and gender inequalities were rooted more in life choices and systemic biases against men than in widespread discrimination against women. In The Boy Crisis (2018, with John Gray), he emphasized the effects of father absence on boys' health, education, and well-being. His most recent work, Role Mate to Soul Mate (2024), extends his focus to couples' communication and conflict resolution.
Farrell and his work have regularly been featured at fora associated with the men's rights movement, including conferences, websites, podcasts and he is often described as the intellectual father of the movement. Farrell himself denies the activist label. His work, on gender and his abandoned research on incest have sparked interest, praise, criticism and controversy. Farrell has remained a prominent public speaker and commentator, advocating for what he describes as genuine gender equality by addressing the overlooked disadvantages faced by men and boys.
Early life and education
Farrell was born on June 26, 1943. Farrell graduated from Midland Park High School in New Jersey in 1961.
When he was a junior, Farrell met his first wife Ursula ("Ursie") at a convention. He encouraged her to speak up as she had stage fright, The same year, he received an M.A. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Feminist years
The Farrells' marriage began with the couple following traditional gender roles. Ursula worked but did most of the domestic tasks. Farrell, in contrast, focused on developing his career as quickly as possible so he could be the main breadwinner when they had children. Farrell quickly came to the conclusion that women could not be liberated until men were liberated from the constraints of their own ideas about masculinity. and began a network of more than 200 men's consciousness raising groups throughout the US.
In the same year he finished his doctorate in 1974, Farrell published The Liberated Man; written from a feminist perspective and based on his experiences with the consciousness raising groups, the book noted that men are also victimized by sexism. For example, he observed that men were forced into a role as breadwinner/provider and socialized to repress their emotions. In parallel to women's experience as "sex objects", Farrell labeled men's experience as "success objects", judged by their status and potential to earn money. this approach was critiqued by reviews in the New York Times by Larry McMurtry and John Leonard.
In 1974, Farrell left New York and his teaching at Rutgers when his wife became a White House Fellow to incoming President Gerald Ford in Washington D.C. He taught part-time at American University (1973–74), Georgetown University, (1973–75)
thumb|right|Farrell conducting a "men's beauty contest" on [[the Mike Douglas Show with Alan Alda, Billy Davis Jr., and Marilyn McCoo, in 1975]]
In the men's beauty contest, men were invited to experience a woman's perspective, because "for women, life...is a beauty contest in which, willing or not, every women takes part, every day of her life". In another activity, women were placed into rows based on their salaries, with the lowest earners branded as 'losers'.<!-- has been long misquoted a "men's liberation" but the the original source says "men's movement". --> However, Farrell became disenchanted with the feminist movement due to its stance on custody policy. NOW supported giving child custody to the primary caregiver, which was usually the mother.
Research into incest
Beginning in 1976, Farrell began writing a book on incest, with the goal of "helping people who were traumatized" by the experience. Wishing to go beyond those identified by legal, psycho-social or medical services, He interviewed more than 200 people, including at the 1983 World Sexology conference. He also wrote on the topic, Farrell suggested the reason for this gender difference was that women and girls are socialized to feel sexual guilt, and thus later reinterpreted their experience negatively when they learn of the incest taboo. After some difficulty, Farrell's book found a publisher. and feminists and feminists are ignoring discrimination against men, and are promoting intolerant, anti-male attitudes. He described what he believed to be each sex's primary fantasies: women to find the economic security associated with one successful man, and men to have sexual access to multiple beautiful women without risking rejection. He also wrote a series of articles about myths about men which were published in the media.
In his next book, The Myth of Male Power: Why Men Are the Disposable Sex, Farrell elaborated this theme. Published in 1993, the book asserts that the widespread perception of men having inordinate social and economic power is false, and women's sexual power negates any such leverage. He argued that men feel themselves to be disposable, and that only men are subject to conscription in the US. Men's life expectation is lower than women's, and to that of African Americans, writing that "men are the new n*ggers".
Both books were widely reviewed, often critically, He appeared once more on talk shows, including the Oprah Winfrey Show. and giving and receiving criticism. He described this as a revolution in men's desire to reenter the family, and maintaining firm boundaries/rules. Noting the increasing numbers of single fathers, he listed research that suggested that medical, psychological, social and educational outcomes for children being raised by single fathers in the US were better than those raised by single mothers. These fathers were older, better off, and better educated, and spoke and consulted on the topic. He toured to Canada and Australia to publicize the book, making presentations, In it, he listed 25 differences in men and women's work-life choices which, he argued, accounted for most or all of the pay gap more accurately than did claims of widespread discrimination against women. Farrell wrote that men chose to earn more money, while each of women's choices prioritized having a more fulfilling and balanced life. He suggested that men could learn from women the benefits of more balanced lives, and not just considering careers with high incomes, given that "the road to high pay is a toll road." It was critiqued by others who commented on the inaccuracies and omissions in the use and interpretation of statistics and the societal and psychological claims made. In the book, Farrell and Sterba debated 13 topics, including criminal justice, power, work and pay, the military, health, marriage and divorce, domestic violence, rape and media bias against men. or end a pregnancy without input from the father. as well as whether the book would be useful as a text at universities, The book discussed contributing factors such as educational under-performance and mental/emotional health challenges, particularly in father-absent households. They proposed that boys to be taught "health intelligence" to keep them happy and safe, not just the traditional "heroic intelligence" in which men rescue, protect and provide for others. In 2024, Farrell published Role Mate to Soul Mate, which is based on his decades of experience teaching couples workshops. The book offers practical tips and suggestions about how to transform relationship challenges into opportunities for intimacy, and extends these methods beyond romantic relationships to communication with family, co-workers and across political divides. and incel movements, Farrell has regularly appeared at their events. In November 2012, he spoke on men's issues at a talk the University of Toronto organized by the Canadian Association for Equality. About a hundred students protested his talk, barricading the entrance and loudly heckling attendees: a protestor was arrested. The protest was featured by the men's rights website A Voice for Men, He appeared in Cassie Jaye's 2016 documentary film about the men's rights movement, The Red Pill. The same year, Farrell gave a keynote speech at the Male Psychology Conference at University College London. Farrell has been cited as an influence by psychologist Jordan Peterson; and teaches at the Jordan Peterson Academy. thumb|Farrell speaking the [[Canadian Association for Equality|CAFE event at the University of Toronto, November 16, 2012]]Farrell's gentle, thoughtful, softly-spoken demeanor and non-confrontational personal style are often contrasted with those of his men's rights admirers. This led to Farrell starting a commission to create a similar one for boys and men. and the Children's Rights Council.
The documentary "Warren Farrell Interrupted: The Boy Crisis", covering his life, career and ideas, won the humanitarian documentary award at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema in 2025. During this time, he had several serious live-in relationships,
During the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, Farrell ran as a Democratic candidate, on a platform of fathers' rights, and received 626 votes. Farrell backed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election.