Feminism has been growing in popularity and has caused two separate groups to form: white feminists and intersectional feminists. When some people hear the words "white feminist" being used they assume that it is a negative term for a white person that identifies as a feminist. It has nothing to do with the person's race, but rather what branches of feminism they choose to advocate for.

Cate Young, the creator of the feminist pop culture blog BattyMamzelle, states that

"White feminism is a set of beliefs that allows for the exclusion of issues that specifically affect women of color. It is 'one size-fits all' feminism, where middle class White women are the mold that others must fit. It is a method of practicing feminism, not an indictment of every individual White feminist, everywhere, always."

White feminists typically speak out about the gender pay gap and the "Free the Nipple" campaign but ignore the issues that non-white women face because they do not directly affect them.

This is not meant to discredit the gender pay gap or "Free the Nipple" because both are legitimate problems that feminists should keep bringing light to, but they are not the only problems that exist.

When the Women's Marches were being held across the world on January 21st, there were women from all different kinds of backgrounds coming together to fight for their rights. However, there was also a great deal of criticism that arose during the marches.

Some protesters could be seen holding signs similar to the one below because they did not feel that the white feminists at the march were legitimately concerned with helping every woman get equal rights.

Many people have begun to identify as feminists because of how popular the movement has become, and while that is partially beneficial for the movement, there are also the people that claim to be a feminist when they actually only want to be trendy. This discredits the entire women's rights movement because it makes it seem like something fleeting.

If you want to identify as a feminist, then you must be an intersectional feminist. The online magazine Everyday Feminism defines intersectionality as

"...a framework that must be applied to all social justice work, a frame that recognizes the multiple aspects of identity that enrich our lives and experiences and that compound and complicate oppressions and marginalizations."

Intersectional feminism highlights that women of different races, sexual orientations, genders, classes, and so on have their own unique experiences.

For example, taking an intersectional approach to feminism is important when discussing the popular white feminist issue of the gender pay gap because women of different races and ethnicities are not paid equally. Hispanic women earn 54 cents for every dollar a white man earns and black women earn 64 cents for every dollar a white man earns.

White women earn more than both Hispanic and black women because they make 80 cents for every dollar a white man earns. Even though it is unacceptable for a white woman to be paid less than a white man, we must also bring attention to the fact that white people, men and women included, are seen as more deserving of their pay than people of color.

I encourage everyone to become a feminist, but you should join the movement for the right reasons. It is not a trend that you can suddenly lose interest in, nor is it meant for you to join so that only the issues that affect you personally are tackled. If your feminism is not intersectional, it is useless.