Taylor Swift Is Now a Feminist, Thanks to Lena Dunham
by Andy NeuenschwanderIt's official: Taylor Swift is now a feminist.
The singer was famously criticized (or at least eye-rolled at) for comments she made back in 2012. When asked if she was a feminist, Swift replied:
"I don't really think about things as guys versus Girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life."
But since befriending "Girls" creator and star Lena Dunham, Swift has realized that she missed the point on the issue of feminism...mainly the actual definition of the term.
"As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities," Swift said in an interview with The Guardian. "What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means. For so long it’s been made to seem like something where you’d picket against the opposite sex, whereas it’s not about that at all. Becoming friends with Lena – without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for – has made me realise that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so."
Dunham was like a proud mother as she took to Twitter to praise Swift before the VMAs (which, coincidentally, featured a feminism-centric performance from Beyoncé).
"Applause for @taylorswift13's spot on definition of feminism (and NOT because she mentions me)," Dunham wrote. "Taylor recognizes that at its core it's not about radicalism or rage, but equality. Her willingness to own the term means much to many."
"She's been my feminist role model for a long time," Dunham continued. "And I cannot fucking wait for her VMA performance. When someone grows, changes and shows their vulnerability and evolution publicly... That's a gift they give to us that we should honor."