Feminism Is Not a Vibe—It’s a Responsibility

We made feminism look good. Maybe too good.

We turned it into pastel slogans and crop tops with “GRL PWR” splashed across the chest.

We watched as corporations repackaged a radical political movement into seasonal merchandise.

We made it a filter. A caption. A vibe.

But somewhere between the merchandise and the memes, we lost something.

Feminism stopped feeling like a call to action.

And started feeling like a brand.

You can claim it now without living it.

You can pose with it without practicing it.

You can wear the word on a T-shirt,

and still uphold the very systems it fights to dismantle.

From Movement to Marketing

Feminism has always evolved—and should.

But lately, it’s been reduced to aesthetic feminism:

• Feminist quotes on Instagram stories… followed by silence when someone is harassed in the group chat.

• Empowerment podcasts… that never mention trans rights, labor inequality, or racism.

• Celebrities calling themselves “feminists”… while working with exploitative fast fashion brands.

This isn’t growth.

It’s dilution.

Feminism wasn’t meant to be easy.

It was meant to disrupt.

Real Feminism Costs You Something

If your feminism has never made you uncomfortable—

You’re not doing it right.

It should challenge your worldview.

It should interrupt your biases.

It should cost you relationships, followers, comfort.

Because real feminism means:

• Checking your privilege.

• Confronting your complicity.

• Listening more than you speak.

• Taking up space only when it’s not silencing someone else.

This isn’t a vibe. It’s accountability.

Allyship Isn’t a Caption

Feminism that doesn’t include:

• Trans rights

• Disabled voices

• Black and brown women’s safety

• Indigenous land rights

• Class struggle

• Queer liberation

• Migrant labor

• Reproductive autonomy for all

…isn’t feminism. It’s optical allyship.

If your feminism doesn’t show up when it’s hard,

when it’s inconvenient,

when it’s not being applauded—

Then it’s not allyship.

It’s a PR strategy.

We Don’t Need More Feminist Merch. We Need More Feminist Action.

We don’t need another limited-edition collection for Women’s History Month.

We need:

• Equal pay

• Paid parental leave

• Safer workplaces

• Abortion access

• Men calling out men

• Boys taught that “no” is a full sentence

Because when feminism becomes about aesthetics, we forget that it was built in blood—

marches, protests, arrests, hunger strikes.

Feminism didn’t start cute.

It started on fire.

Feminism Is Not Just for You

Modern feminism must be intersectional—or it’s nothing at all.

That means:

• White women amplifying women of color

• Cis women protecting trans women

• Feminists advocating for global labor justice—not just American body autonomy

• Feminists confronting their own internalized misogyny, fatphobia, ableism

This movement was never meant to stop at your front door.

It must move through you—into the world you influence.

The Hard, Beautiful Work

Feminism is in:

• The uncomfortable dinner conversations with relatives

• The HR complaints filed when it would be easier to stay quiet

• The conversations with your male partner about emotional labor

• The protection of a stranger on the subway

• The reshaping of how we raise children—so girls don’t have to unlearn what they were taught, and boys aren’t punished for being soft

Feminism isn’t just what you say.

It’s what you do when no one’s watching.

Let the Hashtag Be the Start—Not the End

You can post the quote.

But also read the book.

Listen to the voices.

Share the mic.

Change the systems.

Make mistakes.

Apologize and keep going.

Because feminism is not a brand.

It’s a responsibility.

And every time you say the word,

you’re signing a contract with the people who need your voice—

even when it’s shaking.