Danyale Jones
Professor Lewandowski
ENG 329
9 December 2019
“Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality for women. A
feminist supports women’s rights to liberation and sets out to achieve one common goal:
equality. Is it fair that women receive unequal pay when comparing a woman’s yearly salary to a
male’s yearly salary? No. Issues like domestic violence, reproductive rights, sexual harassment,
maternity leave and unequal pay are issues that shouldn’t be debated, but instead allow women
equality in all aspects of life. When thinking of feminism and the message that women are
implementing around the world, is there a such thing as a bad feminist? Women like Roxane Gay
embraces her feminism openly, along with accepting the label stating that “feminism is flawed
because it is a movement powered by people and people are inherently flawed” (pX). Gay’s
essays entailing the evolution of an African American feminist demonstrates how there is no
correct way to be a good feminist.
Through the eyes of Roxane Gay, “bad feminist” examine the term bad feminist and how
there is no particular way of being a good or bad feminist. Gay walks readers through her
feminist journey and the interactions she’s had that has altered her way of thinking. In Gay’s
essay, “The Illusion of Safety/The Safety of Illusion”, Gay argues about how individuals tend to
yield at illusions of safety instead of facing our issues head on. The essay discusses how humans
rely on the illusion of safety to not relive traumatic events that have occurred in an individual’s
life. Gay states that many feminist communities use trigger warnings to protect the unexpected
reminders of our troubled history. Trigger warnings are protective guidelines for the internet and
provide signals to help warn that the content following nay be upset, or a “trigger”. However,
Gay does not believe in the success of trigger warnings. “There are things that rip my skin open
and reveal what lies beneath, but I don’t believe in trigger warnings. I don’t believe people can
be protected from their histories” (p151). Gay expresses how she differs from what a typical
feminist may agree with due to her previous experiences. Gay entails in the book of essays that
she is a rape victim and how the tragedy has affected her. Regardless of warning that individual,
Gay feels that there is no way to avoid the flashback of the incident, or the emotions that come
with reminiscing on the tragedy. Gay suggests that in fact by creating these trigger warnings,
feminists may be hindering the healing process. Gay suggests that instead of avoiding the issue,
people she faces the obstacle and work through ways to get through it. Going against what
society’s feminists would say is right, Gay voices her opinion but still respects individuals who
do believe in trigger warnings. Gay goes to state: “those of us who do not believe should have
little say in the matter. We can neither presume nor judge what others might feel the need to be
protected from” (p153). Gay differs from what other feminists would agree with, which
reinforces her statement that there is no correct way to be a feminist.
Gay draws on the statement that there is no correct way to be a feminist. In Gay’s essay,
“Girls, Girls, Girls”, she addresses how television and media in general never correctly
represents women and the friendships that women encounter. Gay also discusses how women of
color (minority women, referring to black women) are portrayed as successful women, but never
refers to a average black hard working woman. Gay begins by telling her story of a time period
in her life where she disappeared and went on a trip to San Francisco. Gay tells the story as if she
was referring to a television show pilot, which she then reveals how girlhood is too vast and too
individual of an experience. Television depicts the typical girl and the girlhood that is
entertaining, recognizable and safe. In reality, Gay expresses how in most cases the girl and her
girlhood shown on television rarely happens. She expresses that in actually, all girls want from a
movie or television show is a new voice and relatable concept. Gay goes on to say: “We want to
see more complex, nuanced depictions of what is really means to be whoever we are or were or
hope to be. We just want so much.” (p60). In actually, Gay is simply stating that women are
portrayed incorrectly because of the popular imagination that Hollywood likes to portray.
Instead, girls like myself and other women around the world would like to see women portrayed
with real life experiences. Tragedy is inevitable in a girl’s life, but instead of fabricating the
truth, create a television show that acknowledges truth and reality. By Gay creating the image
that television incorrectly creates popular imaginations of girlhoods, this again reinforces how
there is no correct way to be a feminist. Gay says that until a show like such is created, we as
women will just have to deal with it. Most feminists would take some form of action like
creating new content or advocating to create a show like that, she reluctantly accepts it for what
it is.
In Roxane Gay’s essay, peculiar benefits, Gay discusses and analyzes how privilege is a
real thing in today’s society. Gay discusses in the beginning of her essay the trips she took as an
adolescent to Haiti, and how she was exposed to the different living conditions that other
individuals had to face. Gay though compares how the although she is in a different country, the
same issues that they face or prevalent in her community. Gay does this to create the thought of
privilege, and the privileges each ethnicity experiences. “Privilege is a right or immunity granted
as a peculiar benefit, advantage or factor” (p16). Gay discusses the different privileges (gender,
race, economic, educational, religious) and how at some point each individual has to accept the
privileges their given. Gay goes on to discuss how although she was African American, she was
of middle-class status and grew up comfortably. However, she does discuss the cons of being an
African American woman. Issues like being watched by co-workers, random people questioning
her, street harassment, and strangers wanting to touch her hair. Gay goes on to live in her
privilege and wishes others would acknowledge the fact that individual has some form of
privilege. “Look at white men when they are accused of having privilege. They tend to be
immediately defensive. They say, “it’s not my fault I am a white man” instead of simply
accepting that, in this regard, yes, they benefit from certain privileges others do not.” (p17).
Being an African American woman, Gay faces discrimination, racial profiling simply from being
black, but she does agree that coming from a middle-class background creates privileges that
other black women don’t have. Gay expresses how we as people need to get to a place where we
can discuss privilege by way of observing rather than accusations. Coming from the perspective
of a feminist, Gay reinforces her point that there is no correct way to be a feminist. Gay
expresses her truth on privilege, and how even women receive some form of privilege. While
feminists are fighting for equal rights of women, Gay shows that women do have some forms of
privilege opposed to a man.
Roxanne Gay creates the illusion that there is no such thing as a right or wrong feminist.
Gay states when feminism falls short of our expectations, we decide the problem is with
feminism rather than with the flawed people who act in the name of the movement” (pX). Gay is
addressing her opinions in the lense of a feminist, but still allowing her readers to know that
she’s not perfect. Gay’s opinionated truths reinforces that there is no such thing as a good
feminist, nor is their no such thing as a perfect person. Gay is simply an African American
woman who is heavily involved in the feminism movement and is not afraid to voice her
opinions of the injustices of women and African Americans. By allowing readers to gain insight
on her journey as a feminist, she convinces readers through her essays that there is no such thing
as a bad feminist., and if so; she is perfectly okay with that.
Work Cited
Gay, Roxane. Bad Feminist: Essays. Olive Editions, 2017.