As an avid TV and movie watcher, music listener, and celebrity gossip reader, there is no greater disappointment I feel than when a celebrity I love says they don’t identify as a feminist.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that it’s your own choice if you want to call yourself a feminist or not. In fact, I have a lot of people in my life who also don’t identify that way, and that does not make me less likely to be friends with a person. However, the difference is that my friends do not carry the responsibility of preaching to a larger audience. Celebrities are not new to the concept that they are role models; whether they like it or not. It comes with the job. And as a role model, you have a responsibility to truly know the power your words carry.

A few months ago, Kim Kardashian West posted an essay on her website explaining why she isn’t a feminist. And that’s fine if she truly isn’t one, but here’s the thing; she is. Kardashian West writes in her essay that she believes in gender equality, but isn’t a “‘free the nipple’ type of girl.” But what she fails to note is the definition of a feminist, somebody who believes in gender equality. And while it’s okay to be misinformed, as a celebrity she has the responsibility to learn these things before preaching them to a wider possibly vulnerable audience.

Kardashian West is by far not the only celebrity to come out and say they are not a feminist. In August Sex and The City star, Sarah Jessica Parker told an interviewer for Marie Claire that she believes that men and women should be equal, but doesn’t think she qualifies as a feminist. Pharrell Williams, performer and songwriter, has stated that it’s impossible for him to be a feminist because he’s a man. When asked if she was a feminist, the star of the movie Divergent, Shailene Woodley, said that she was not because she didn’t like the idea of rising women to power above men. The list goes on.

What all of these celebrities fail to do in these cases, is truly look at the definition of feminism. If a celebrity wants to come forward and say “I don’t believe in feminism because I prefer the patriarchy,” while I’ll strongly disagree with them, at least I’ll feel confident that they understand the label they refuse to identify with. However, many of the times that these stars refuse the label of feminist they are poorly misinformed as to what a feminist is; somebody who believes that men and women should have equal rights. And as people with a big fanbase and platform, it is important for them to understand that their words have consequences, and to truly research and learn about what it is they are discussing before formulating an opinion.