I’m a bad feminist

There has been an unmissable surge in the popularity of the emblem of feminism, one such manifestation of this is the ‘feminist’ t-shirt trend that has hit the hangers recently. On my many recent instances of retail therapy I have noticed women’s fashion stores increasingly selling garments donning slogans such as ‘Feminist as F***’, ‘Not your baby’, and ‘Girl Power’. But for me, this got me thinking: what does it mean to purchase these items of clothing? Does your new top come with an obligation to be an active member of the feminist movement? Is it enough just to passively wear your new statement piece?

Despite my position as a self-proclaimed feminist, I am yet to own one of these t-shirts. I adhere wholeheartedly to the empowering phrases, I ardently advocate equality of fundamental human rights for both sexes, and I am passionate about creating a future where patriarchy is not the way it’s always been, but the way it once was. However, I could not shake the feeling that my beliefs lack the radical edge of the stereotypical feminist; amidst my confusion I took to Google in an attempt to discover whether I am indeed an inadequate feminist. My lengthy searches culminated in the purchase of ‘Bad Feminist,’ a New York Times best- selling collection of essays by American writer and academic Roxanne Gay.

In short, I was not offended by the things I thought had to offend me in order to label myself a feminist…

The book captured me from the first page. Gay and I do not share the same skin colour, nationality, or history, but we did share the unshakeable feeling that we were ‘bad’ feminists; that we did not fit the bill of mainstream feminism because we were flawed. In my case, this was because I felt that to be a true feminist (t-shirt and all) my personal ideals had to conform to those of popular feminism; I could not enjoy a man holding the door for me, I could not enjoy domestic chores – especially if they were to benefit a male – and, I simply could not allow casual sexist comments to go over my head. In short, I was not offended by the things I thought had to offend me in order to label myself a feminist and so, I was concerned too.

Not only is her narrative voice engaging and her anecdotal approach wonderfully emotive, Gay’s collection is informative for rookie-feminists such as myself. However, it’s certainly no ‘Idiot’s Guide to Feminism’; the essays tackle themes from academia and literature, to film and race in way that has changed my perspective on these everyday encounters. On a personal level, her writing pleased me, in that while advocating feminism – in any form or vigour – Gay does not denounce men; excluding the essays exploring abusive and deplorable men, I understood that in order to be increasingly aware of the female experience it is not necessary to reduce the contemporary man to insignificance. In fact, men are celebrated to an extent; yet this is also an area where Gay and I disagree, in opposition to her statements, liking men does not make you a bad feminist.

The increasing visibility and popularity of feminism has been an advancement to be celebrated…

Reading Bad Feminist resulted in an examination and reading of myself, my values, and my attitudes, and where these stood in terms of the feminist scale. Yet, while Gay concludes her collection in an air of personal defeat, accepting her position as a ‘failing’ feminist that cannot associate herself with the ‘good’ ones – those that live their lives solely by the doctrine of feminism – when I closed the cover I felt rather differently. I reached an alternative conclusion, seeing that every feminist is a good feminist. Whether your favourite colour is pink, you sing the lyrics faultlessly to degrading rap songs, or will never purchase a t-shirt branded with feminist slogans, provided that despite these contradictions you hold strong beliefs in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes, you are ‘good’ enough.

The increasing visibility and popularity of feminism has been an advancement to be celebrated; with the discussion of women’s rights across the world gaining prominence in our culture, associating yourself with feminism – once notably more controversial – is gradually making headway towards being a self-association with basic human rights and morality. So, whether you’re male or female, an exceptional feminist or, much like me, a feminist with faults, the world needs you at this pivotal time for the advancement of the world-wide movement. T-shirt or no t-shirt.