So you identify as a feminist – but how are you supposed to publicly display your feminism when you still believe that the way a woman dresses or acts should determine whether or not she’s at fault for her own sexual abuse? Well, here are a few handy tips for how to rock a feminist T-shirt without really understanding that victim blaming is wrong!
Have some knee-jerk justifications ready.
If you wanna wear that tee declaring the inherent beauty and strength of all women, but you also wanna defend your favorite comedian who has just been accused of sexual assault, you totally can! Just be prepared with some worn out justifications for your shitty beliefs, like “She should’ve been clearer in saying no” or “Well, why did she go back to his hotel room?” Yasss queen, you’re such a lazy feminist!
Blame your upbringing!
Sometimes you want to wear a cute lil’ croppy with a feminist slogan on it, but you can’t hide the fact that you think that men just are the way they are and it’s women’s job to adapt to protect ourselves from them. Don’t worry, just blame it on the way you were raised! No need to take the steps to educate yourself about why your frame of thought is so very, very wrong and damaging, justify it by explaining that you only had brothers and were always taught that “boys will be boys”. You rock that feminist crop top while living with the cognitive dissonance of being a woman who blames other women for their own victimization!
Say you’re wearing it ironically.
Listen, it’s easy to be an outspoken feminist when the public has almost universally turned their rage on a target like Harvey Weinstein. But what’s a feminist to do when opinions are less than unified? If you’re feeling weird about some of the #metoo stories, and you’re getting a hankering to ask some questions — why DID she drink wine at dinner?! — tell people you’re just wearing your feminist t-shirt ironically. Because you’re not one of those shrill feminists, right? You’re a fun girl!
Run to the bathroom and burn it!
Uh-oh, you’ve started to have impure thoughts about the “loose morals” of the modern American woman again. What’s a girl to do? Don’t fret! Just take a quick jog over to the ol’ office bathroom, throw your feminist t-shirt in the sink, and light it on fire. Feel free to stand there a moment and watch it burn!
There, there. Don’t you feel better now without the oppressive weight of feminism on your shoulders? Now get out there and rock that feminist tee like a #bosslady!!
