Feminism: The notion that women can be housewives, but only because they choose to be, NOT because it is their role in society
Feminism: Boys can play with Barbies, and girls can own at sports
Feminism: When men and women do the same work, they deserve the same pay
Feminism: Being a woman in no way affects your ability to be funny or intelligent, and attractiveness should not factor into either of those things
Feminism: Because if you’re not a feminist, you’re sexist
But don’t just take it from me, take it from these high-profile celebrities:
Emma Watson
In a career move that no one was expecting, yet everyone was wonderfully surprised by, Emma Watson joined forces with the United Nations to become a UN Women Goodwill ambassador to advocate for gender equality through the HeForShe campaign. After giving a series of speeches (here and here), she showed that she truly means business. What makes her stand out is her fight for male inclusion, as men have often found it hard to contribute to the conversation: “We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but I can see that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence.”
Beyoncé
Who run the world? Beyoncé. Obviously.
John Legend
Winner of numerous accolades--including an Academy Award and multiple Grammys--John Legend is outspoken on the necessity of equality between genders, his mother being the biggest reason behind this.
Tove Lo
A strong advocate for #FreeTheNipple, Tove Lo crosses gender barriers with her risqué performances and lyrics that prove women are just as sexual as men. All the while, with songs like “Moments” and “Talking Body,” she attests that these experiences should be consensual and do not have to be based purely around physical attraction.
Mark Ruffalo
Arguably the best Hulk yet, Mark Ruffalo has taken a stand against sexism in Hollywood in many ways, through outright advocating and showcasing the double standards of what is asked of women but not men. In words not written but repeated by Ruffalo, “My response to the ‘I am not a feminist’ Internet phenomenon … kiss my ass, you ignorant little jerks.”
Matt McGorry
I am just going to leave these two images here:
Both being from his Instagram account, the second image turns the #FreeTheNipple campaign on its head as he photoshops women’s nipples (Miley Cyrus's and Christine Teigen’s, to be exact) over his own after they had their pictures taken offline.
Amy Poehler
Aside from portraying one of the funniest feminist characters, Leslie Knope, on television, Amy Poehler has partnered with other women to found Smart Girls at the Party. This foundation is empowering women and girls to “change the world by being [themselves]” (Smart Girl’s motto).
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift perfectly sums up what so many people (wrongly) think when they hear the word “feminism” and get a negative connotation: "As a teenager, I didn't understand that saying you're a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities. What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means."
Aziz Ansari
Just as Taylor Swift “found feminism” as a woman, Aziz Ansari has only just become mindful of the issues society is imposing upon women. "When I asked, 'Raise your hand if you're a woman and you've been followed,' and all those women raised their hand, there were a lot of dudes who were like, 'What?! That's happening?' A lot of this stuff dudes are not aware of.” Through adding this awareness into his work, he hopes to educate others about the issues as well.
Karlie Kloss
The STEM fields have notoriously been dominated by men, but supermodel Karlie Kloss is doing something to change that. With her program Kode with Karlie, she offers scholarships for girls ages 13-18 to attend courses teaching them to code. In her words, “I think it’s crucial that young women learn to code as early as possible to ensure that we have a voice and a stake in what the world looks like.”
Barack Obama
“A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship--and you know what, a father does, too. It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a “Mad Men” episode.”
