This is what a bad feminist looks like
Feminist writer Roxane Gay says it's better to be an imperfect that to give up on feminism entirely.
Writer Roxane Gay joins guest host Stephen Quinn to explain why she considers herself a "bad feminist" and why she thinks it's better to be imperfect than to give up on feminism entirely (as the growing Women Against Feminism movement would have one do).
Gay, who began using the label "bad feminist" in a tongue-in-cheek manner, decided to explore it more seriously in light of the growing numbers of women disavowing feminism.
Gay's latest collection of essays, Bad Feminist, explores feminism as an idea and philosophy that is bound to be nuanced in practice. As one critic notes, her collection strives to give people "permission to take up the sword of feminism while laying down the shield of policed authenticity".
A little more human, A little more flawed
"I wanted to own my feminism while also acknowledging that I'm very imperfect at it," she tells Stephen, adding that in the early days of the movement women had to be "impeccable" to get anything done.
Now, thanks to their gains, it has become possible to be "a little more human, and a little more flawed" while still being committed to gender equality.
- Related: Women Against Feminism: What does it mean to be a feminist today?
- Related: Does the feminist label matter? (Q debate)
Gay is troubled by the Women Against Feminism movement, which she says is a reaction to the "angry, humourless, man-hating" caricature in our popular imagination.
"People forget that feminism is an idea, it's a philosophy. And feminists are people who act in the name of an idea," she says, adding that even women who reject feminism have benefit from it.
"If you can vote, if you can read and write as a woman, if you can have a credit card or bank account in your own name, you are standing on the shoulders of giants."
Don't worry if you 'fail' this test
How many of these eight "bad feminism" indicators, based on Roxane Gay's book, apply to you? Note: Gay isn't arguing that any of these items preclude you from being a feminist.
