For as long as I can remember, I have identified as a feminist. I have never seen being a woman as being different from being a feminist. To me, they have always been inextricable, and I can thank my mom and sister for showing me this from such a young age.
But what I have learned as I have grown older is that feminism isn’t a stagnant state. To be a feminist means to evolve your thought and constantly learn about yourself. Most importantly, being a feminist requires the understanding that your experience identifying as a woman is not the same experience as every other woman.
This reflects the importance of intersectionality and shows the problems with “white feminism," or the belief that your female experience is the same as everyone’s female experience, neglecting the other identities they may possess.
Unfortunately, white feminism is often perpetuated by prominent white celebrities who identify as feminists and do not recognize the implications of their privileges. A great example of this is the recent “shade” thrown by Demi Lovato via Twitter regarding Taylor Swift’s silence over the court’s ruling to reject Kesha’s plea to not have to work with her producer and alleged abuser, Dr. Luke.
As a part of a long rant on women’s issues and feminism, Lovato tweeted saying, “I'm also ready for self-proclaimed feminists to start speaking out or taking action for women's rights.” This tweet was promptly believed to be about Swift, who has often been criticized for not speaking up about issues that matter.
Swift embodies white feminism by only really speaking up on feminist issues that directly affect her, reflecting her very privileged position. Swift didn’t speak out in support of Kesha, but instead she donated $250,000 to aid in any financial troubles put on Kesha and her family. This is something Lovato criticized, and while I agree that Swift should be using her platform to speak, there is also something to be said about Swift using her socioeconomic privilege as a means of advocacy.
Lovato also embodied white feminism in her narrow vision of what a “good” feminist does. She is privileged in her number of followers on Twitter and the people she can reach. In addition, her calling out Swift on Twitter gives way for a new form of female competition: Who can be the best feminist?
This is so problematic because feminism isn’t about the advocate — it’s about the advocacy itself. We try to encourage people to understand the meaning of feminism so they don’t shy away from the title of “feminist," but being able to say you are a feminist is not the most important thing about being a feminist. It seems that feminism is becoming a new way for women to compete with one another, which defeats the point entirely.
Lovato calling out Swift for her choice in advocacy results in a gray area because neither person was entirely at fault in the situation. Swift’s mistake comes from not using her platform to speak up against sexual assault and in favor of Kesha. Lovato’s mistake comes from making the issue about her and implying that her feminism is in some way better than that of her peers’.
I do believe that there are better forms of feminism than others. “White feminism” is clearly problematic because it does not represent the voices of so many women, and I am very vocal in advocating for intersectional feminism, but it is crucial to remember that feminism is not a science that anyone can perfect. It is characterized by growth, and to criticize others for what they do not know goes against feminist philosophy entirely.
When speaking on feminism, we need to put the focus on the issues and not let the issue at hand be a platform for us to brag about our “feminist expertise.” Use your voice to speak about issues and experiences that aren’t typically spoken about. I hope that Swift and Lovato continue to learn about their feminism and recognize the ways they are more privileged than other women. But most importantly, I hope that Kesha sees justice and the court takes her seriously, as this is what we should continue to talk about, in whatever way we can.