Bad Feminist Analysis

Bad Feminist Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. “Feminism” is a complex noun that is perceived in hundreds of ways, some positive and some negative. Roxane Gay’s novel, Bad Feminist, expresses that feminism is a movement that needs to be guided and lead by confidence in one’s values and beliefs, teamwork and support, and recognition that equality should be universal. The fight for feminism needs to be driven and lead by those with the passion to make a change in the way the world works. Gay states that she is a feminist herself and would love others to be, but she can’t change everyone. She still takes notice of what she feels she needs to bring to society when she says, “Feminism
I believe feminism is grounded in supporting the choices of women even if we wouldn’t make certain choices for ourselves” (Gay 5). Conformity can be a vicious thing, if all of society is conforming to the wrong idea. Gay recognizes this and says, “The notion that I should be fine with the status quo even if I am not wholly affected by the status quo is repulsive” (Gay 148). She states that even if one idea proposed by society isn’t directed at her or make a direct difference to her lifestyle, if she feels it is wrong it is still taken in by her and she feels a need to help make a change. Throughout the novel Gay shows how she is confident and driven woman who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She acknowledges this about herself, “I approach most things in life with a dangerous level of confidence to balance my
Feminism is a fight for equality and should help everyone realize that equality needs to be shared on a global spectrum. The push for feminism has been widely spread across North America but it needs to be brought into other countries as well. Gay says, “What about other women of color? For Hispanic and Latina women, Indian women, Middle Eastern women, Asian women, their absence in popular culture is even more pronounced, their need for relief just as palpable and desperate” (Gay 268). Feminism is more than just local and the women struggling across the world need to be recognized too. Aside from women solely, there needs to be support for those of every gender specification, sexual orientation, age, race, and so on. Gay reminds the readers to never bystand and take a stand against wrongful discrimination, “As individuals, we may not be able to do much, but when we’re silent when someone uses the word ‘gay’ as an insult, we are falling short. When we don’t vote to support equal marriage rights for all, we are falling short” (Gay 178). Even if the discrimination is not directly said to a gay person, using the term “gay” in a derogatory way is wrong and hurtful. She encourages her readers to divert that person, and others from using the wrongful term in the wrong context. Finally, she says that help is needed everywhere, “So many of us are reaching out, hoping someone out there will grab our hands and remind us we are not as