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  • The New Feminists The New Feminists
  • The New Feminists The New Feminists
  • The New Feminists The New Feminists

What IS a Feminist?

Kim Kardashian ‘thinks’ she’s one. Beyoncé definitely is. Taylor Swift wasn’t, but now she’s changed her mind.
  • The New Feminists The New Feminists
  • The New Feminists The New Feminists
  • The New Feminists The New Feminists
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Seven Women on What Feminism Means Right Now

byBeth Stebner 6 years ago
Credits
  • Photography by:
    Jenny J. Norris(@jjnorrisinteriors)
    Jenny J. Norris
  • Hair & Makeup:
    Joanna simkin(@joanna simkin)
    Joanna simkin

During the last year, the F word—feminism—has become a concept as familiar to pop-culture fans as it is to activists, although pinning down what it actually means in real-world terms, beyond the tired collegiate debates or social-media spars, isn’t always as easy as reading an interview with Emma Watson or Lena Dunham, applauding an open letter from Jennifer Lawrence, or keeping tabs on Taylor Swift and her ever-expanding “girl squad”—though those things certainly don’t hurt.

The fact is, identifying as a feminist means different things to different women. Most will even agree that dated, narrow-minded definitions—a woman who hates men, for example—has absolutely nothing to do with it. For that matter, those who believe it does clearly aren’t equipped to deal with a new generation of females who only lean in if they want to, who make their own decisions about having—or not having—children, who unapologetically flaunt their sex appeal, and who understand the sheer power of the word “no.”

We invited seven women, all of whom are shaping our culture in their own way, to talk about what feminism is and what it isn’t on a personal and professional level.

Heben Nigatu, 25, and Tracy Clayton, 34, hosts of BuzzFeed’s podcast “Another Round”

If you haven’t heard of Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton, get with it. The hilarious duo has gained a hugely loyal following thanks to their year-old podcast, “Another Round,” and their highly entertaining Twitter alter egos @heavenrants and @brokeymcpoverty, respectively.

And while they definitely know how to have fun (they’re usually enjoying a cocktail or three on the air and talk a great deal about their obsession with squirrels), they also unapologetically broach topics from reaching “peak blackness” to sexism in politics with Hillary Clinton, whose office reached out to them last fall.

It’s a far cry from Nigatu’s first brushes with feminism. She was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when she was five, and says it was her upbringing in a super-Christian household that first made her think about women’s rights in a hazy sort of way. “My first feminist struggles were about what the church thought a proper woman was and all of that shit—you know what I mean? Seeing how my mom dealt with making it in America with three kids was proof enough.” The luxury of being able to sit around and think of something as intrinsically feminist or not just didn’t exist for her mom.

“At the same time,” Clayton chimes in, “it’s so inspiring to see feminism practiced. Just watching my own mother exist in a world that’s not made for her—it lets me know I might just have a chance at this thing.”

Feminism

Heben Nigatu, 25, and Tracy Clayton, 34, hosts of BuzzFeed’s podcast “Another Round”

If you haven’t heard of Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton, get with it. The hilarious duo has gained a hugely loyal following thanks to their year-old podcast, “Another Round,” and their highly entertaining Twitter alter egos @heavenrants and @brokeymcpoverty, respectively.

And while they definitely know how to have fun (they’re usually enjoying a cocktail or three on the air and talk a great deal about their obsession with squirrels), they also unapologetically broach topics from reaching “peak blackness” to sexism in politics with Hillary Clinton, whose office reached out to them last fall.

It’s a far cry from Nigatu’s first brushes with feminism. She was born in Ethiopia and moved to America when she was five, and says it was her upbringing in a super-Christian household that first made her think about women’s rights in a hazy sort of way. “My first feminist struggles were about what the church thought a proper woman was and all of that shit—you know what I mean? Seeing how my mom dealt with making it in America with three kids was proof enough.” The luxury of being able to sit around and think of something as intrinsically feminist or not just didn’t exist for her mom.

Feminism

“At the same time,” Clayton chimes in, “it’s so inspiring to see feminism practiced. Just watching my own mother exist in a world that’s not made for her—it lets me know I might just have a chance at this thing.”

Even so, both Nigatu and Clayton say they would consider themselves “womanists” first over feminists, since the other term is something that was mostly made for upper middle-class white women. (Need proof? Look no further than last year’s “Suffragette” movie, which came under fire after a magazine pictured its all-white stars in shirts that read, “I’d Rather Be a Rebel than a Slave,” a real quote uttered by 19th-century women’s activist Emmeline Pankhurst.)

“Once you’re excluded from these spaces for so long, you’re like, OK, I’ll create my own thing. It’s the black woman’s burden,” Clayton says, shaking her head. “We have to be everything to everyone.”

When asked what they thought about the so-called new wave of feminists in pop culture, the conversation quickly turned to Queen Bey.

“There’s more criticism of women like Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, even by more established people like [famed feminist writer] bell hooks,” Clayton said. “They’ll say, ‘She’s not a feminist because she wears revealing outfits and she’s performing for the male gaze,’ which is bullshit.”

“Beyoncé contains multitudes!” Nigatu interjects. “She’s a married mom, she’s a performer, she can be Sasha Fierce—she’s literally spelling out what feminism is!”

Both women say they’re who they are today because of strong female influences around them—for Clayton, it was her mother, who once drove her daughter to a store to demand that an all-white dollhouse have some diversity. For Nigatu, it’s her “squad of brown women in my life who keep me grounded and sane.”

Their advice for young women growing up today? Stop talking, start doing. And take it easy. “Be kind to yourself,” Clayton says. “This world is going to piss on you enough, so don’t help them tear you down.”

Feminism

“There’s more criticism of women like Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, even by more established people like [famed feminist writer] bell hooks,” Clayton said. “They’ll say, ‘She’s not a feminist because she wears revealing outfits and she’s performing for the male gaze,’ which is bullshit.”

“Beyoncé contains multitudes!” Nigatu interjects. “She’s a married mom, she’s a performer, she can be Sasha Fierce—she’s literally spelling out what feminism is!”

Both women say they’re who they are today because of strong female influences around them—for Clayton, it was her mother, who once drove her daughter to a store to demand that an all-white dollhouse have some diversity. For Nigatu, it’s her “squad of brown women in my life who keep me grounded and sane.”

Their advice for young women growing up today? Stop talking, start doing. And take it easy. “Be kind to yourself,” Clayton says. “This world is going to piss on you enough, so don’t help them tear you down.”

Amy Odell, 30, editor of Cosmopolitan.com and author of Tales from the Back Row

Amy Odell is the leader of Cosmopolitan.com, where she serves as editor, but her voice has been a familar one in the world of fashion jounalism for years, starting with her role at New York Magazine’s The Cut, and culminating with her new book, Tales from the Back Row.

Any way you look at it, Odell has an impressive résumé, topped off with making Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list last year, in large part for choosing to add strong female voices like Jill Filipovic, a journalist covering global women’s rights, to Cosmo.com, a site traditionally known for doling out tips on how to blow his mind in bed.

When asked where fashion’s place is in terms of feminism, Odell paused before dubbing it “a prickly topic.”

“On the one hand, fashion is very jarring. I wear makeup just about every day, I care about what I wear, and I care what I look like, but I don’t think that makes me a dumb or frivolous person,” she says. “You get up in the morning and you want to look a certain way—in that sense, fashion can be very empowering.”

At the time, she notes that the industry feels incredibly rigid, especially when it comes to the hot-button topic of a model’s size and ethnicity. “The typical model body isn’t like most women,” notes Odell. “That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with skinny models, but why isn’t there more diversity? We’re stuck in a very thin, white place.”

Feminism

Amy Odell, 30, editor of Cosmopolitan.com and author of Tales from the Back Row

Amy Odell is the leader of Cosmopolitan.com, where she serves as editor, but her voice has been a familar one in the world of fashion jounalism for years, starting with her role at New York Magazine’s The Cut, and culminating with her new book, Tales from the Back Row.

Any way you look at it, Odell has an impressive résumé, topped off with making Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list last year, in large part for choosing to add strong female voices like Jill Filipovic, a journalist covering global women’s rights, to Cosmo.com, a site traditionally known for doling out tips on how to blow his mind in bed.

When asked where fashion’s place is in terms of feminism, Odell paused before dubbing it “a prickly topic.”

“On the one hand, fashion is very jarring. I wear makeup just about every day, I care about what I wear, and I care what I look like, but I don’t think that makes me a dumb or frivolous person,” she says. “You get up in the morning and you want to look a certain way—in that sense, fashion can be very empowering.”

At the time, she notes that the industry feels incredibly rigid, especially when it comes to the hot-button topic of a model’s size and ethnicity. “The typical model body isn’t like most women,” notes Odell. “That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with skinny models, but why isn’t there more diversity? We’re stuck in a very thin, white place.”

Feminism

It’s something she’s mindful of when casting her own shoots for Cosmo. “When we shoot fashion and fitness stories, we’re always looking at women of all skin tones and women of all body types.”

And for Odell, her passion for work also bleeds into her personal life. There seems to be a lot of noise on the Internet about marriage—whether it’s an antiquated institution, whether it’s about ownership, whether it’s a guaranteed way to get saddled with not only five toasters, but a lifetime of power struggles.

Not so for Odell, who married her long-term boyfriend, Rick, in 2014. “I’ve read all those stories that say marriage is outdated or not in the best interest of women,” Odell says.

She credits much of her success to her husband’s support, but acknowledges that she was lucky to find someone that would help elevate her without resentment or envy.

“Not to sound like an Instagram caption,” she says, “but he helps me live my best life.”

And while Odell admits that a lot of things are out-of-date about marriage—she kept her name, for starters—what she finds empowering is that it’s all about choice, an idea that echoes her stance on feminism as a whole.

“It’s really about fighting for your rights as a woman and ultimately acheiving parity with men socially and economically.”

Kelly Shami, 24, design manager for Parkwood Entertainment

One look at Kelly Shami’s Instagram, and you know you’re dealing with a cool girl in the truest sense of the phrase—it’s impossible to not want to hit “follow” for her steady stream of fashion, food, art, and party pics.

Futhering her cool cred: Shami was, until December, an art director at Nylon magazine, but has since left to work as the design manager for Parkwood Entertainment—a.k.a. Beyoncé’s entertainment management company, making one of the planet’s most famous feminists her boss.

When asked about the F word, Shami says she hates that it’s often used so flippantly and has become the butt of jokes to the point that it’s lost a bit of its meaning to her. “It’s awful that people throw around the word so loosely, like, ‘I’m a feminist because I’m not going to shave my armpits,’” she says. “Maybe the hype around feminism today is good, maybe it’s bad, but it should look into the history of feminism and how we got there, not just if women are shaving their leg hair.”

During our conversation, talk of body image came up—Shami’s not afraid to show a little artful skin on Instagram, but concedes there’s a pretty strong bias. “When guys take off their shirts, they just don’t have shirts on, it’s not about ‘flaunting,’” she says. “But when girls do, it’s suddenly sexualized.”

Still, that bias leaves room for power. She says some of her biggest icons—Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford, among them—know exactly how to use their assets. “Girls have an upper hand with their sexuality,” she says. “Femininity and sexuality are forces to use—if you have control, you can use that control to show your confidence.”

Feminism

Kelly Shami, 24, design manager for Parkwood Entertainment

One look at Kelly Shami’s Instagram, and you know you’re dealing with a cool girl in the truest sense of the phrase—it’s impossible to not want to hit “follow” for her steady stream of fashion, food, art, and party pics.

Futhering her cool cred: Shami was, until December, an art director at Nylon magazine, but has since left to work as the design manager for Parkwood Entertainment—a.k.a. Beyoncé’s entertainment management company, making one of the planet’s most famous feminists her boss.

When asked about the F word, Shami says she hates that it’s often used so flippantly and has become the butt of jokes to the point that it’s lost a bit of its meaning to her. “It’s awful that people throw around the word so loosely, like, ‘I’m a feminist because I’m not going to shave my armpits,’” she says. “Maybe the hype around feminism today is good, maybe it’s bad, but it should look into the history of feminism and how we got there, not just if women are shaving their leg hair.”

During our conversation, talk of body image came up—Shami’s not afraid to show a little artful skin on Instagram, but concedes there’s a pretty strong bias. “When guys take off their shirts, they just don’t have shirts on, it’s not about ‘flaunting,’” she says. “But when girls do, it’s suddenly sexualized.”

Still, that bias leaves room for power. She says some of her biggest icons—Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford, among them—know exactly how to use their assets. “Girls have an upper hand with their sexuality,” she says. “Femininity and sexuality are forces to use—if you have control, you can use that control to show your confidence.”

Feminism

But Shami’s fate could’ve been a very different one, seeing as her mother hails from Lebanon, and her father comes from the war-torn country of Syria. As Christians, they grew up in the minority, and moved to New Jersey when she and her brother were young.

She acknowledges the luck that kept her from remaining in Syria, where she would be expected to give up her dreams in order to take care of a husband and a family, something her cousin was forced to do. “It’s a man’s world there—it’s scary,” she says.

Still, Shami acknowledges the fact that it can also be tough right here for women. “We’re suppressed, even in this country,” she adds. “It’s always been a man’s world, and I don’t know why. Women make less than men, they’re persecuted for their reproductive choices, and why, in 2016, hasn’t a woman been president?”

At 24, Shami has big goals set for herself, including wanting to start a business run by only women. “Right now, I’m a girl in a guy’s world. I want to change that,” she says, adding, “Women just seem to have a sixth sense that gives them an edge.”

Which is why she thinks most men feel threatened by powerful females. “They’re not the enemy, but they’ve had the power for however many hundreds of years.” Power, she says, has shifted in women’s favor thanks in large part to the Internet. It’s what helped people like Oprah and Taylor Swift (who now has 70 million Instagram followers and counting) spread their message.

“Girls are using the Internet in a whole new way,” she says. “They’re using it to express their thoughts or show their bodies in a positive way—it’s inspiring.”

As for starting a family of her own, Shami says maybe one day, but it would be her husband staying home and taking care of the kids. “I’m a workaholic,” she says. “I would need a partner who understands and supports that.”

Rachel Effendy, 26, head of social at Ralph & Co and half of the blogging sister duo Rachel et Nicole

If you were to see Rachel Effendy walking down the street, you’d likely do a double take. Saying she’s not afraid of color is an understatement, with her favorite arguably being the girliest one on the spectrum—a bright, cheerful bubblegum pink.

Effendy’s candy-colored exterior—and equally sweet demeanor—makes her backstory all the more compelling. Born in Indonesia, her family was forced to move to Singapore in the late ’90s because of rioting against the Chinese population.

Still, Effendy’s mother raised her with the traditional values of what she willingly calls a “Tiger Mom”—earning top grades at school, taking ballet and tennis lessons, all with the expectation that she should be serious about finding a husband.

“She expected my sister and me to be the perfect wife, the perfect girlfriend, but the twist is that you should also be the CEO of your company,” she said, and although she admits her mother is one of the most important people in her life, Effendy “cherry-picks” the values of her mom’s era. “What she expects is impossible, so I just try to be the best that I can be.”

Being a first-generation American woman has given the 26-year-old a unique perspective on feminism: First, an academic one that looks at the females before her who have fought for the right to vote and work. But it’s also about self-expression—bows, sequins, and all. “It’s about being able to express your femininity to the fullest and be proud of it.”

Feminism

Rachel Effendy, 26, head of social at Ralph & Co and half of the blogging sister duo Rachel et Nicole

If you were to see Rachel Effendy walking down the street, you’d likely do a double take. Saying she’s not afraid of color is an understatement, with her favorite arguably being the girliest one on the spectrum—a bright, cheerful bubblegum pink.

Effendy’s candy-colored exterior—and equally sweet demeanor—makes her backstory all the more compelling. Born in Indonesia, her family was forced to move to Singapore in the late ’90s because of rioting against the Chinese population.

Still, Effendy’s mother raised her with the traditional values of what she willingly calls a “Tiger Mom”—earning top grades at school, taking ballet and tennis lessons, all with the expectation that she should be serious about finding a husband.

“She expected my sister and me to be the perfect wife, the perfect girlfriend, but the twist is that you should also be the CEO of your company,” she said, and although she admits her mother is one of the most important people in her life, Effendy “cherry-picks” the values of her mom’s era. “What she expects is impossible, so I just try to be the best that I can be.”

Being a first-generation American woman has given the 26-year-old a unique perspective on feminism: First, an academic one that looks at the females before her who have fought for the right to vote and work. But it’s also about self-expression—bows, sequins, and all. “It’s about being able to express your femininity to the fullest and be proud of it.”

Feminism

Tamar Anitai, 37,
SVP of digital content strategy at Porter Novelli

Tamar Anitai, 37,
SVP of digital content strategy at Porter Novelli

Tamar Anitai has a presence that’s both commanding and funny as hell, which makes sense when you take her résumé into consideration. She worked her way up at MTV’s Buzzworthy from associate editor to managing editor before switching gears to corporate content strategy at one of the world’s leading public relations firms—but it wasn’t without challenges. No matter the outlet, she says she’s battled the lion’s share of sexism in the workplace.

“I’ve seen strings of men promoted and no women,” she says. “Men hired by men who look exactly like them, who aren’t concerned with diversity or the fact that when you keep hiring the same people, you keep telling the same stories, and they’re not everyone’s stories.” She recalls being asked by some of her (male) bosses to “turn down that whole feminism thing,” which she says is “as easy as separating my identity from my name.”

In 2013, she penned an essay for women’s online publication TueNight conveying her desire to not have kids with her husband. The idea was to start a dialogue that #notallwomen have to procreate.

“I took a good, hard look at myself over a long period of time and realized: I just don’t want them,” she wrote in a follow-up essay on Today.com in 2014. “And that blows people’s minds—and the fact that it blows people’s minds in turn blows mine.”

But Anitai’s decision is emblematic of her idea of what a feminist is—someone who has agency and choice. “When you recognize yourself as a woman and as an adult, you realize your choices are your own and you’re free to make them,” she says. “You should embrace the few things you want in life and stop feeling guilty. It’s enough. I believe equally in the power of yes—and the power of no.”

Tamar Anitai has a presence that’s both commanding and funny as hell, which makes sense when you take her résumé into consideration. She worked her way up at MTV’s Buzzworthy from associate editor to managing editor before switching gears to corporate content strategy at one of the world’s leading public relations firms—but it wasn’t without challenges. No matter the outlet, she says she’s battled the lion’s share of sexism in the workplace.

“I’ve seen strings of men promoted and no women,” she says. “Men hired by men who look exactly like them, who aren’t concerned with diversity or the fact that when you keep hiring the same people, you keep telling the same stories, and they’re not everyone’s stories.” She recalls being asked by some of her (male) bosses to “turn down that whole feminism thing,” which she says is “as easy as separating my identity from my name.”

In 2013, she penned an essay for women’s online publication TueNight conveying her desire to not have kids with her husband. The idea was to start a dialogue that #notallwomen have to procreate.

“I took a good, hard look at myself over a long period of time and realized: I just don’t want them,” she wrote in a follow-up essay on Today.com in 2014. “And that blows people’s minds—and the fact that it blows people’s minds in turn blows mine.”

But Anitai’s decision is emblematic of her idea of what a feminist is—someone who has agency and choice. “When you recognize yourself as a woman and as an adult, you realize your choices are your own and you’re free to make them,” she says. “You should embrace the few things you want in life and stop feeling guilty. It’s enough. I believe equally in the power of yes—and the power of no.”

Sara Idacavage, 29, part-time professor at Parsons

For fashion historian Sara Idacavage, being a feminist is the same as being an activist for basic human rights. “A feminist is someone who’s in favor of women being treated equally—politically, economically, absolutely,” she says. “It’s really just as simple as that.”

Idacavage points out that modern millennial feminist icons like Lena Dunham, Emma Watson, and Taylor Swift are elevating that discussion to the pop culture arena. “Any step in the right direction is worth celebrating,” she says. “And it’s also good that young girls have access to voices they wouldn’t have been exposed to before.” But for Idacavage, these steps just aren’t big enough.

“What would be enough is for laws to be made right now to protect women’s bodies and for all women around the world to receive an education—everything is a baby step now.”

And given Idacavage’s profession, it’s only natural that the conversation turned to today’s obsession with celebrities out-sexing one another on social media and on red carpets—something other women shouldn’t be bashing.

“I’m not entirely certain if wearing revealing clothes is empowering for women, but I do know that ‘slut shaming’ is counterproductive to reaching gender equality,” she said, adding “it’s really easy to say negative things about a woman wearing something that seems to be too revealing but it’s important to consider the implications and whether the same would be said for a man in a similar situation.”

Despite any number of setbacks—from paying more for everything from soap and razors to clothes—Idacavage says she stays hopeful for a more equal future. “I’m just a forever optimist,” she says. “It’s good to celebrate the baby steps.”

Feminism

Sara Idacavage, 29, part-time professor at Parsons

Sara Idacavage, 29,
part-time professor at Parsons

For fashion historian Sara Idacavage, being a feminist is the same as being an activist for basic human rights. “A feminist is someone who’s in favor of women being treated equally—politically, economically, absolutely,” she says. “It’s really just as simple as that.”

Idacavage points out that modern millennial feminist icons like Lena Dunham, Emma Watson, and Taylor Swift are elevating that discussion to the pop culture arena. “Any step in the right direction is worth celebrating,” she says. “And it’s also good that young girls have access to voices they wouldn’t have been exposed to before.” But for Idacavage, these steps just aren’t big enough.

“What would be enough is for laws to be made right now to protect women’s bodies and for all women around the world to receive an education—everything is a baby step now.”

And given Idacavage’s profession, it’s only natural that the conversation turned to today’s obsession with celebrities out-sexing one another on social media and on red carpets—something other women shouldn’t be bashing.

“I’m not entirely certain if wearing revealing clothes is empowering for women, but I do know that ‘slut shaming’ is counterproductive to reaching gender equality,” she said, adding “it’s really easy to say negative things about a woman wearing something that seems to be too revealing but it’s important to consider the implications and whether the same would be said for a man in a similar situation.”

Despite any number of setbacks—from paying more for everything from soap and razors to clothes—Idacavage says she stays hopeful for a more equal future. “I’m just a forever optimist,” she says. “It’s good to celebrate the baby steps.”

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