As 21st century feminists, the first person we think of when hearing the word “feminism” is usually Beyoncé. After all, it’s not like the history of feminism is a required course in any public school. While we love Bey, to be a really well-informed feminist, it’s time to learn about all the amazing, badass women along the way who made it possible to even write this piece. Here are just eleven of the most influential and kickass female feminists you need to know about.
1. Kathleen Hanna
As the lead singer of the 90’s feminist punk band Bikini Kill and one of the original founders of the Riot Grrrl movement, Hanna is one of the most unapologetically badass feminists on this list. At her concerts, she often instructs all the girls in the audience to come to the front and enjoy her concert without being harassed or trampled by men. Hanna is also known for performing with words like “SLUT” written on her body, and also shows off her unshaven armpit and pubic hair. The list of Hanna’s feminist efforts (like advocating for pro-choice and fighting against the patriarchal gender binary) is endless.
If you still don’t think Hanna is one of the coolest people on the planet, you should also know she coined the phrase “smells like Teen Spirit,” which later became the title of her friend Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana album. She’s definitely one badass feminist we’d like to be friends with.
2. Tavi Gevinson
At the age of 12, most of us are getting fitted for braces. Tavi Gevinson, on the other hand, was starting her own feminist empire with Style Rookie. What started out as a blog to show off her personal style is now a hugely successful female-run online magazine for women of all ages to express their individuality. Gevinson makes it a point to support female artists and writers, even allowing readers to publish their own work. She also gave her own TEDxTeen talk at the age of fifteen in which she spoke to a global audience regarding the importance of feminism (particularly in the media) and how it affects young women.
Gevinson explained that it’s necessary for women to be portrayed as complex, diverse, flawed and multi-faceted beings, “not because women are crazy, but people are crazy and women are people.” Since giving her TedxTeen talk, Gevinson has inspired not only her teen audience, but a wide audience of adults to reconsider what it means to be a feminist and how women should or shouldn’t be portrayed in the media.
3. Debbie Harry
Best known by her stage name, Blondie, Harry made a name for herself in rock ‘n’ roll history as one of the first female rockstars. She was known for her punk rock style, short bleach blonde hair and killer vocals, along with her overall ‘I don’t give a f**k’ attitude. Harry definitely helped pave the way for women to embrace their individuality and unique style. The singer also made it a point to object against the sexualization of women in music and to create music that promoted female strength and power.
“I was dead sick and tired of all of these songs by the R&B girls, the trios and stuff. They were all victimised by love. I was sick of it. I didn’t want to portray myself or women as victims,” Harry said in 2013. She also made waves in 2014 when she was the first female winner of NME’s Godlike Genius Award, which had previously only been given to male artists or male-centric bands.
4. Janelle Monáe
With lyrics like “you cannot police me so get off my areola” and “we the kind of girls who ain’t afraid to get down. Electric ladies go on and scream out loud,” plus a wardrobe consisting of perfectly tailored suits (and sometimes a gold crown), Monáe is one of the coolest and most individual feminists on this list. Aside from her awesome lyrics, Monáe has also made an effort to specifically encourage and embrace the presence of black artists in the media. As the head of her own record company, Wondaland Records, Monáe strived to create a unique and safe space for black artists to have their own voice and collaborate on music that may not have been made had Wondaland Records not existed.
Almost every aspect of Monáe’s unique style was created in order to send a symbolic message, including the fact that she rarely straightens her naturally curly hair. “Never in a million years did I think I would see a young Black girl wanting to look like me,” Monáe said on the Queen Latifah show, as she thanked a fan. There’s no denying Monáe’s stregth, talent and grace.
5. Mary Lambert
Lambert might be best known for her tear-jerking vocals on Macklemore’s “Same Love,” but you might not know that she’s also an advocate for self-love, body positivity, mental health and LGBTQ+ rights. Lambert totally owns her fuller frame and identity as an LGBTQ+ woman in her song “Secrets,” in which she sings out lyrics like “I know I’m not the only one who spent so long attempting to be someone else. Well I’m over it,” and “I’ve got bi-polar disorder, I’m overweight, I’m always late.” Lambert bravely and fearlessly embraces her individuality and owns her perceived flaws, encouraging her fans to do the same.
6. Janet Mock
At just 33, Mock has already appeared as a transgender rights activist on the OWN Network, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight and The Colbert Report. A transgender woman herself, Mock’s autobiography, Redefining Realness, even made the New York Times bestseller list. Mock is one of few transgender people who have been given a platform on which to advocate publicly, a gift which she has not taken lightly. Mock has made immense strides in normalizing and humanizing the transgender rights movement, particularly because she has endured and overcome so many of the unfortunately commonplace struggles and abuse that most transgender people continue to deal with on a daily basis. Despite all of the fame and success she has already received, Mock has no plans of slowing down and continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
7. Sophia Amoruso
For years, Amoruso was the unknown face behind the hugely-successful clothing company, Nasty Gal. She became a household name in 2014 when she published her New York Times bestselling book, #GIRLBOSS. In the book, Amoruso embraces and interviews female entrepreneurs and even shares the story of how she went from dumpster diving to starting her now thriving clothing and lifestyle empire.
8. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
You may know her as the speaking voice in Beyoncé’s feminist anthem, “Flawless,” but did you know Adichie is also a successful author and the recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant? In fact, Adichie’s powerful feminist excerpt was actually taken from a TEDx talk she gave, in which she spoke of her roots as an African woman and the struggle women continue to face while striving for equality.
Adichie is particularly concerned with the fact that women are often expected to sacrifice their own freedom and success in order to settle down with and cater to a man, and then bear children. In both her writing and her speeches, Adichie cleverly addresses the double standards that women face, and has inspired millions of women (including Queen Bey) to maintain their own voice and pursue whatever makes them happy, whether or not that includes being a wife and mother. Adichie’s lifelong efforts to make the world a safe and equal space for women is something all feminists should aspire to.
9. Roxane Gay
Gay is one of few people who can say they have their Ph.D. and are a New York Times bestselling author, while also writing for the Times and influencing the feminist community. With books like Bad Feminist, in which Gay talks about how feminism plays a significant role in her life, and Hunger, which encourages body positivity, Gay has clearly made a name for herself as one badass feminist. During Bad Feminist in particular, Gay writes about both the ups and downs of being a true feminist in the 21st century. Often times, Gay has struggled with how her unique identity falls into the umbrella terms “feminist” and “feminism.” Bad Feminist seemed to alleviate the pressure and confines for Gay’s readers who felt as though they could relate to the pressure that was placed on them to fit into the mold of what they have been told is a “good” or “bad” feminist.
10. Betty Friedan
As the author of The Feminine Mystique, Friedan might just be one of the most influential feminists in history. As if publishing the equivalent of a feminist’s handbook wasn’t enough, Friedan co-founded the National Organization for Women and the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. It’s almost unbelievable to think that one person could have changed so much for such a marginalized group of people, but Friedan has done that and so much more.
11. Bell Hooks
Hooks has spent most of her adult life acting as a voice for women, particularly women of color, and critiquing the lack of diverse female roles in the media. Perhaps one of Hooks’s largest objections with the media is that many black women are often seen on screen as slaves or sexual assault and abuse victims.
“No matter how sophisticated our strategies of critique and intervention, [we] are usually seduced, at least for a time, by the images we see on the screen. They have power over us, and we have no power over them,” Hooks says. “Representation is the ‘hot’ issue right now because it’s a major realm of power for any system of domination. We keep coming back to the question of representation because identity is always about representation.”
Hooks’ influential activism has even earned her multiple awards, including the Ain’t I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism: “One of the twenty most influential women’s books in the last 20 years” by Publishers Weekly.
Keep slaying, ladies!