In a recent tell-all interview, Beyoncé challenged the feminist label that many have tried to pin on her since her 2014 Mrs. Carter tour, during which the term flashed across stadium screens in neon pink lettering.
The leading lady of pop culture says, “I put the definition of feminist in my song [“Flawless”] and on my tour, not for propaganda or to proclaim to the world that I’m a feminist, but to give clarity to the true meaning. I’m not really sure people know or understand what a feminist is, but it’s very simple. It’s someone who believes in equal rights for men and women.”
Despite self-identifying as a feminist in the past, Beyoncé argues that being a so-called feminist, for her, is really more akin to being a humanist.
“Ask anyone, man or woman, ‘Do you want your daughter to have 75 cents when she deserves $1?’ What do you think the answer would be? Working to make those inequalities go away is being a feminist, but more importantly, it makes me a humanist,” she argues.
The star adds that the public’s incessant need to label her or box her in is exhausting—especially when all she’s really trying to advocate for is equality for all, regardless of sex, race, religion or social status.
And as for those who still say she can’t be a feminist and embrace her femininity, Beyoncé says affirmatively, “We all know that’s not true.”