Source: http://theodysseyonline.com/
“Like most people, I am full of contradictions […]. I
am a bad feminist. I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all.”
-Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
Roxane
Gay’s Bad Feminist essays have
inspired me over the past year to re-think both my views on feminism and my own
self-criticism. I have often felt like a Bad Feminist – not knowing enough,
reading enough, doing enough, or doing things in the “right” way. Roxane Gay’s
book has helped reaffirm for me that there is no right way. Instead, Gay argues
that to reach the kind of inclusive, productive feminism that we strive for we
can embrace contradictions. Rather
than criticizing ourselves and others for not matching up to our view of an
ideal feminist, she argues that we can accomplish more for gender equality by
accepting that no one is perfect and thus, getting comfortable with paradox. In doing so, we embrace the existence
of multiple feminisms – as Gay states: “Feminism can be pluralistic so long
as we respect the different feminisms we carry with us, so long as we […] try
to minimize the fractures among us”.
Gay’s message is especially
important to me when considering ways to promote feminism and increase feminist
self-identification. I have often had conversations with friends and
acquaintances who believe in the tenets of feminism but who do not self-label
as feminist. One of the common reasons I have received for this discrepancy is
that they feel like Bad Feminists. They do not know enough. Their behaviors do
not always match up. They are not active enough for the cause. All of these
factors seem to contribute to a sense of unworthiness in embracing the feminist
label.
My goal is to challenge these
responses. With Gay’s message in mind, among many others (including bell hooks
famous work Feminism is for Everybody),
I hope to continue to work toward an expansion of this feminist framework – one
that embraces contradictions, respects differing views, and uses acceptance to create positive change.
Written by: Sarah Conlin, B.A.
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