Feminism is a movement whose supporters basic belief is that women and men should be treated equally. But just like any other movement, the people who make them up aren't perfect.
Although calling yourself a feminist is becoming more common, and not as looked down upon, there is still a negative connotation that comes along with embracing the label. Despite how simple the basic concept is, many still believe all of negative things said about feminism. Because of this, those who do call themselves feminist often feel the need to defend themselves and the movement, and along with that, put high standards on other's like them.
This can be easily seen with celebrities, or rather, more so with female ones. Being in a position of power (like the kind that comes from being well known) and calling yourself a feminist can be a wonderful thing. Not only does it help normalize it, it also brings attention to it and in turn can bring up topics that should be discussed.
However, because there is still a need to defend being a feminist, or rather, it still feels that way, those who do take the label are often put on unrealistic pedestals. Everything a woman celebrity feminist does is looked into and dissected to the point where some question if she is a "real" feminist.
I'm not saying that they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions or that simply because they have the same belief as me that they shouldn't be corrected when having done something wrong.
Pointing out when a celebrity (or a friend) says or does something they shouldn't have out of the desire to help not only them, but the movement itself, is a good thing. Nobody is perfect and sometimes we need to be nicely told when we mess up. It's when we start completely tearing down someone, claiming that they aren't what they say they are, and comparing them to other's when it goes from helpful, to hurtful.
For example, amidst the recent outpouring of love and support for singer Kesha (if you don't know what's going on with her, this article explains things well), some were pointing out the fact that Taylor Swift was being too silent on the situation. Some said that she should be using her power and voice to bring attention to, and help, Kesha since she is supposed to be feminist. Then their opinions changed once Swift donated money to Kesha in order to help her out during this difficult time. Somehow that wasn't enough. Then Demi Lovato joined in on the discussion of what is considered doing enough for a cause, and eventually, she was also attacked.
It'd be easy to simplify the entire situation and say that everyone just over exaggerated and needed to take a step back before saying anything, but there's an underlying problem here, as well. In a tweet by Lovato, she said: "Take something to Capitol Hill or actually speak out about something and then I'll be impressed." Although she has since apologized, I think it's important to take a look at what she said and understand why we shouldn't have this mindset when it comes to feminism.
While Lovato says she was trying to voice her opinion on the importance of raising awareness when it comes to issues like Kesha's, such as sexual and physical abuse, her comments ended up coming across as accusing other's of not doing enough, when in reality, this isn't a competition.
Swift's decision to choose to give Kesha money without bringing attention to herself doesn't make her any better or worse than Lovato, who chose to be vocal on social media. She later got hate for only being vocal on social media instead of donating money -- which was also wrong.
And that's where the problem is. Although Lovato shouldn't have said some of the things she did, belittling her for the way she was trying to contribute to the cause is not beneficial to anyone. We don't need to tear down each other in order to point out when someone makes a mistake. And when someone does make a mistake, that doesn't make them any less of a feminist, especially when they apologize.
It's not fair, or right, to compare what others do in the name of feminism and claim that because someone isn't doing what you consider to be enough, is somehow not a feminist at all. It also unnecessary to praise someone for doing something good by tearing down someone else for not doing the same thing. That's not what feminism is. It is, however, building each other up and encouraging the idea that each of us, no matter gender, deserve respect and equal opportunities in life.
