Taylor Swift: Lena Dunham Opened My Eyes On Feminism

Taylor Swift didn’t consider herself a feminist until recently, when her eyes were opened to the true definition of the movement thanks to her good friend, “Girls” creator Lena Dunham.

In an interview with Britain’s The Guardian, the 24-year-old “Shake It Off” singer said Lena, 28, has been mentoring her on what it means to support women’s rights.

“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. What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men,” Taylor told the paper in an interview published on Friday. “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 realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so,” she continued.

Lena took to Twitter on Sunday to share her pride over Taylor’s enlightenment, Tweeting, “Applause for @taylorswift13’s spot on definition of feminism (and NOT because she mentions me),” along with a link to Taylor’s Guardian interview.

 

“Taylor recognizes that at its core it’s not about radicalism or rage, but equality,” she continued. “Her willingness to own the term means much to many… She’s been my feminist role model for a long time. And I cannot f**king wait for her VMA performance.”

Lena said Taylor should be applauded for speaking out about her stance on women’s rights, and for recognizing she was unclear about the core of feminism.

“When someone grows, changes and shows their vulnerability and evolution publicly…,” Lena wrote. “That’s a gift they give to us that we should honor.”

Erin O’Sullivan

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