"Bad Feminist" by Roxane Gay

 

For my first blog post of the quarter, I chose to respond to Roxane Gay’s “Bad Feminist”, and also relate Gay's ideas of feminism to my own experiences and struggles with the term and movement. Gay describes feminism as, “Advocating for gender equality in all realms, while also making the effort to be intersectional, to consider all the other factors that influences who we are and how we move through the world” (Gay xii). Gay also includes the word “pluralistic” in her definition of feminism.

I think “pluralistic” is an important word when describing not just feminism but many of the movements powered by people, because people all view things through different lenses. The idea that feminism can look different for everyone is something Gay emphasizes throughout the essay and serves as a bright contrast to the “perfect” feminism we often see on social media. It’s important for us to realize that even though people of one movement are fighting and advocating for the same things it doesn’t mean that they all have to agree on the same ideas, and it doesn’t mean that they can’t have interest and opinions that don’t fall in line with the mainstream. They don’t have to advocate in the same fashion, and they don’t have to be the perfect feminist role model because, “I am human. I am messy. (xi)”

We all grow up in different environments and encounter different people, so, personally, “Bad Feminist” hit very close to a lot of my inner struggles with feminism. This excerpt was the first that’d I’d read that lined up with many of my opinions and thoughts on feminism and helped me clear up some of the tangles I had with the movement. While reading “Bad Feminist” I found myself in Roxane Gay’s shoes many times. I also disavowed feminism earlier because I only ever saw feminism the way people on social media paint it as. I was also a little fearful that I would be ostracized by my classmates and friends and treated as a troublemaker if I ever labeled myself as a feminist. And because a lot of my views and opinions don’t line up with mainstream feminism I thought I wasn’t good enough for the movement either.

Gay’s “Bad Feminist” was like a calm wave of water that washed over many of my worries. I felt validated for the first time when I read the introduction to this book. I also agree with the points she makes about feminism being plural, and the importance of respect for those who view feminism differently. This introduction was impactful for me because I’m often not exposed to material like this, and I think “Bad Feminist” can be very impactful for many others too and get them thinking about what their version of feminism might look like. Thanks for reading!

- Bridget