Bad Feminist: Roxane Gay on the Complexities and Blind Spots of the Equality Movement

Female swagger, to XCX, comes with insecurity, because no matter how much bravado she displays, she must navigate overwhelming societal standards and expectations for her behavior. Brat , then, is about how hard it is to be a brat—to project untouchability and ambition in a world that relentlessly questions successful women.

When did the sound of the word feminism become your sound?

Feminism, as of late, has suffered from a certain guilt by association because we conflate feminism with women who advocate feminism as part of their personal brand.

Together we have been deconstructing the anxiety, guilt, and self-abnegation that are the legacy of the nice girl. Lena would love to become bold enough not only to know what she likes but to be able to ask for it.

In summary, society has some destructive notions about women. We are not treated as equals at home or at work. We are treated as a dumping ground for all the work that men are taught not to do. And that absolutely includes systemic sexism built into our politics, our laws, and our institutions. And yet, women are complicit.