Over 500,000 people gathered together in Washington D.C. the day after Trump’s inauguration to participate in the Women’s March on Washington. The event made headlines nationwide, and demonstrations were made all over the globe. England, France, Portugal and Australia were just a few of the countries showing an amount of unity that isn’t always seen among the international community.
While public political statements are often met with some controversy, the Women’s March was engulfed in controversy before it even began. Many black women were advocating for a change of name and for white women to be more consciously aware of their privilege and overall responsibility for getting Trump into the White House. Trump spoke out and wondered if these women came out to the polls on November 8th. No matter what criticism the march got, it ended up being a celebration of women and equal rights for all. With performances by Madonna, Maxwell, and Alicia Keys, and speeches by Gloria Steinem and America Ferrera, it seemed as though women of every race and ethnicity had someone there representing them. The success of the March cannot be denied. However, controversy reappeared once the event ended.
Both fans and non-fans of Taylor Swift spoke out against her for not attending any of the marches on January 21st, despite Swift claiming to be a feminist and continually speaking out for women to uplift and encourage each other. Swift getting criticism for not attending the march caught my attention, because whether or not someone attends a march does not determine whether they are a feminist. If you attended the march and want equal rights between men and women you’re a feminist; and if you did not attend the march but still believe men and women should be equal, then yes, you are a feminist. A bigger conversation could be brought out of the Swift controversy, a conversation that should answer the question: what defines a feminist? Is it okay for women to push their definition of a feminist onto others?
Swift tweeted on January 21st saying, “So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I’m proud to be a woman today, and every day. #WomensMarch”. Showing solidarity for the march, yet receiving criticism for not attending, doesn’t seem to make sense. Many females in the media did not attend any of the marches, yet received no complaints. Clearly, this is about Taylor Swift fans thinking Taylor is a “fake feminist”, therefore showing that some women are trying to push the idea that there is only one type of feminist. The bigger conversation surrounding this particular controversy needs to be had. In order for the feminist movement to become open and inclusive to all, no one can impose their thoughts or beliefs of how feminism should work onto someone else.
