Hi! I thought a feminist was someone who believed in equality between men and women, so I get a little confused when we're talking about feminist behaviour (Kanagana and her decisions, etc.). So what goes with being a feminist (like not cheating, or being polite to fellow female costars)? Love your blog BTW! 💙
I’m not going to talk anymore about Kangana and her feminism because I’ve said all I have to say on that topic. But in terms of feminism in general, it’s both as simple and as complicated as you’re saying. The end goal is social, political, and economic equality between the sexes. It’s the act of actually achieving that goal that is more complicated. Achieving equality for someone like myself would require different actions than achieving equality for a poor woman of color in a developing country exploited by capitalism. Even the meaning of equality would be different, depending on who you are and where you’re from. That’s where intersectionality comes in.
I think the main thing to keep in mind is that there’s not one “right” way to do feminism, but avoiding actively hurting each other and putting our own interests above other women’s is counterproductive to feminist goals. So cheating...not feminist. You’re knowingly and actively hurting another woman. It’s fine if you don’t like your female costars, feminism doesn’t expect you to like all women. But it does expect you not to propagate negative stereotypes about women and how catty and bitchy and jealous we are. If you’re constantly putting other women down on public platforms, that’s not feminist. And honestly, it’s just not a very adult way to handle things, period lol
Like I said, it’s complicated, and that’s why there are so many conflicting opinions on the subject. How women treat other women is a mark of feminism, but being a feminist isn’t like...you get a card, and when you screw up, they take it back. We’re all works in progress, but acknowledging that what you’re doing is damaging is a good place to start. I do not have the same beliefs about feminism I had three years ago, and in another three years I expect my views will have evolved. But the end goal is always the same!
