"Dear women who are against feminism: You don't need to be and, in fact, you are probably very feminist."
That's how author and self-proclaimed "bad feminist" Roxane Gay starts her Now This Rant addressing women who think they aren't feminists. She discusses how the feminist movement has actually allowed these women to have this "incorrect opinion" and that educating yourself on these topics is crucial.
She explains that things aren't always cut-and-dry when it comes to feminism because it's a complex movement that -- after the basic principle of equality -- is a very nuanced identity that each person defines for themselves and in their own lives.
"I'm a bad feminist because I openly acknowledge that I'm a feminist," she says. "I'm proud to be a feminist, but I'm not always great at it."
Gay uses Beyoncé as an example of someone whose feminist credentials have been questioned, stating that she's "no longer entertaining the question, 'Is Beyoncé a feminist?' because I have nothing relevant to say about that topic. [Beyoncé]'s a feminist because she says [she's] one."
At the end of the day, a woman is a feminist because she wants to identify as one. Whether someone likes or doesn't like her particular brand of feminism shouldn't take away from the work she's doing to achieve gender equality.
As Gay points out, Beyoncé's a "great feminist" who "happens to be sexy" and no longer wears pants. It's all about freedom of choice, right?
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