Roxane Gay: The Bad Feminist

In the ever-present debate about feminism’s definition and role in a woman’s life, Roxane Gay is comfortable being a “bad feminist.” Her 2014 collection of essays by the same title detailed the myriad ways she considers herself an imperfect person and thereby an imperfect feminist. She’s a woman who can’t help but jam out to rap and pop songs that are degrading to women (I think we’re all there sometimes) and she definitely wants to avoid “man work” such as “bug-killing, trash removal, lawn care and vehicle maintenance.” She knows we’re all full of contradictions and made up of more than our gender identity. Her brand of feminism does not exist on a pedestal but does call us to be a little bit braver to make pro-woman choices. Gay is sure to talk not only about women’s issues and feeling comfortable in your bad feminist skin, but about issues of race and culture in her own unique and insightful way. As a writer who plays in many genres—from essay and comic to novel and short story—her imaginative and reflective talk will be the perfect way to continue thinking about feminism this Women’s History Month.