All in This Together: Feminists Need to Support, Speak Up and Act Now
Award-winning author Roxane Gay in recent conversation with broadcaster Sasha-Ann Simons in Chicago.
Roxane Gay is not a bad feminist. And is there really such a thing?
The acclaimed author, editor, columnist, and editor of the new anthology The Portable Feminist Reader says good or bad, there is no one kind of feminism throughout history, including today.
What is true about feminism today is that those pushing the current political agenda “know what feminism is because they are trying to undo its power. Feminism is everything they do not represent.” She added, “That is why they want to erase words like feminism.”
At a recent public event in Chicago with Sasha-Ann Simons, a radio host and journalist with WBEZ-FM, the NPR-affiliate in Chicago, Gay highlighted the importance of supporting voices and scholarship on key issues for women.
“This is a record of who we are, where we have been, and how far we have come,” said Gay, the author of nine books including Bad Feminist, Hunger, and Difficult Women.
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This new 650-page tome with essays and analysis of feminist ideals from ancient times to the 16th century to contemporary times, is an effort, “to make this scholarship accessible and to be expansive. With that, it is incredibly alarming to see how much good we are losing every day,” said Gay, the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University.
Commenting that her stress level from the political cultural pressure on a scale of 1 to 100, is “159,” Gay added, “We will not be erased and we will not allow our contributions to be ignored.” This is even as Project 2025 outlines ways to bar women from holding power personally and professionally.
“We will not be #erased and we will not allow our #contributions to be #ignored. -@RoxaneGay7”
Ways to pushback against this pressure with necessary contributions include literature and essays. “These are things that accompany activism and other forms of resistance as ways of creating change.”
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Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead agrees. Feldt wrote in 2018, “The truth is that making social change that shifts the balance of power as profoundly as gender parity, no matter how wise, just, or good business it is, will inevitably cause resistance. And sometimes that countervailing force can be cruel, even violent. But that’s no reason to pull back from working toward it. Instead, that’s exactly the time to be at our most courageous and intentional.”
“The #truth is that making #socialchange that shifts the balance of #power as profoundly as #genderparity...will inevitably cause #resistance. -Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of @TakeLeadWomen”
The highest percentage across generations, or 53% of Gen Z women, say they define themselves as a feminist, compared with 32% of Gen Z men.Only 39% of Boomer females declare they are feminists, compared to 28% of Boomer males.
The study of over 24,000 people shows that 28% of Gen Z men say a man who stays home to look after his children is less of a man. Just 19% of Gen Z women say the same. Only 9% of Boomer females agree with that statement, as are 12% of Boomer males.
This corresponds to what Gay observes in popular culture across the last several decades.
Not only in this time period is there a recurring attack on women and feminism, but there is also “an antiquated idea of who a feminist is,” Gay said.
While there are ideologic differences expressed about white feminists, first and second wave feminists, Black feminists, young feminists, old feminists, gay and straight feminists, and more, Gay said divisiveness is counter-productive.
A new study by Ipsos UK and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London of 30 countries shows there is a distinct generation gap on feminism. “Men and women belonging to Gen Z are more divided than those of any other generation on key questions about feminism, gender roles, and women’s rights.”
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“We need to create space within the feminism space for all of us.” She added, “We need all hands on deck.”
“We need to create #space within the #feminism space for all of us. We need #allhandsondeck. -@RoxaneGay7”
Acknowledging the efforts for gender parity and equality for hundreds of years globally, Gay said, “The core issue then are the core issues today.” She added, “White men are angry they are not able to live the way their grandfathers lived.”
The embrace—or denial—of feminism and gender parity in this country is a major issue in politics and beyond. A recent Pew Research study shows, “43% of adults say society is not accepting enough of men who take on roles typically associated with women, 19% say society is too accepting of these men and 37% say acceptance is about right.”
Additionally, Pew reports that on the issue of women taking on roles typically associated with men, “44% say society is not accepting enough of women who do this, 19% say society is too accepting and 36% say things are about right.”
“Feminism is embedded in every aspect of our lives. This is not just about women, it’s about everyone. “
“#Feminism is #embedded in every aspect of our lives. This is not just about #women, it’s about everyone. -@RoxaneGay7”
Read more in Take The Lead on young feminists
A way to express solidarity and support for equality is to volunteer, Gay said, “Everybody has something they can contribute to their community. This will help with their survival.”
Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska with her parents who emigrated from Haiti and her siblings, Gay says, “I grew up knowing I have every right to be who I am and to be ambitious. I never felt I was less than my brothers.”
A survivor of a horrifically violent group sexual assault at 12, Gay asked, “Why do we allow so much harm to come to young girls who are further harmed in their adult lives?” That experience contributed to her boldness in making sure her voice and all voices are heard.
Confronting the rampant disinformation and discord in today’s media landscape, Gay said is urgent. “I am focusing on not sugar coating. I focus on what’s real as the world storms.”
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Simons added, “It’s a matter of telling people the truth. Our job is not to hide things.”
Before receiving a standing ovation from the audience of more than 500, Gay said, “I try to find a balance of offering leadership where I can, but self-preservation.”
“I try to find a #balance of offering #leadership where I can, but #selfpreservation. -@RoxaneGay7”
Self-describing as an “optimistic pessimist,” Gay said, “We are this unit. If all of us stop writing, the people in power will not stop.”
She added, “I hope this introduces people to the brilliance of feminist thought. We are flawed, but there is impact for the choice we make.”
