Feminism is super trendy right now and that’s not necessarily as good as it seems. Big name celebrities like Beyoncé, Emma Watson and Taylor Swift are identifying as public feminists which is great! This means people who are fans of these women (including large amounts of young girls who are at a highly influential time of their lives) are looking up the definition of feminism and learning all about it. Unfortunately, the sources they may be using aren’t painting the full picture of what feminism should be and signals are still getting crossed. So, here’s a few tips (not an all-inclusive list) on how to be the best feminist you can be!
Love yourself: Before you can start fighting for everyone else to value themselves as human, you should give it a try on yourself. You should know that you are human and you have value. This will happen in slow and rocky steps, but you can do it. I have faith in you!
Be inclusionary: Feminism is about equality for all. This includes all women (and all men if you’re looking at the whole ‘men need feminism too’ angle). Don’t be a proponent of what is sometimes called white feminism which often excludes transwomen, queer women or those who don’t identify with the gender binary, and people of color.
Wear what you want to wear: Let me be clear when I say that lists of clothes that “men don’t like” or examples of clothes “to fit your body” are just wrong. You can wear whatever you want to wear whenever you want to wear it. Those guidelines society uses to measure their standards of beauty are completely made up. Short skirts and skimpy tops and lots of makeup say nothing about the person wearing them. And as much as you have every right to wear t-shirts and jeans because they make you comfortable and confident, so does the person next to you in high heels and a sparkly dress.
Take up space: Did you know that the way we all sit has been gendered? If you’re a woman, there’s a strong chance your legs are crossed, your arms are tight by your side and your belongings are out of other’s way. If you’re a man, you’re probably doing the complete opposite. Women have been conditioned to make excuses for our actions and keep our bodies to ourselves while men have no regard for the way their stretching gets in our way or that their spread legs take up much more than the singular bus seat they deserve. How many times have you moved out of the way for a man walking straight at you? Probably a lot! Stop doing that and start recognizing that you are a person who deserves to take up the space you’re in. Use the armrests attached to your seat without apology.
Encourage other women: I’m so tired of hearing women say “I’m not like other girls” or “I prefer to hang out with guys because I hate girls.” Sayings like these are a form of internalized misogyny (basically society has brainwashed us to think individuals seem better than other women because we are as a whole seen as inferior). Women are awesome! They’re smart, funny, creative and nice humans. Let’s start supporting each other more! This tip also includes putting each other down less, for example, not calling someone a slut for wearing different clothes as previously stated.