Author and prominent feminist Roxane Gay believes most people — even if they don’t identify as feminists — are on board with the movement, she told St. Thomas students during her presentation Wednesday in the Luanne Dummer Center for Women.
Gay, St. Thomas’ Women’s History Month speaker, answered questions from literature students during a closed meet-and-greet session before her lecture that evening and discussed everything from feminism to writing to her favorite movie, which happens to be “Pretty Woman.”
“I think sometimes you just have to enjoy yourself. I really love that movie,” Gay said.
She also signed books, shared tips on the “secret world of speaking tours” and gave general life advice.
“The best critique I’ve received is around acknowledging other points of view,” Gay said. “Other points of view have merit.”
Although Women’s History Month is technically over, the Luann Dummer Center for Women was able to secure Gay as this year’s speaker after the original visitor canceled. This is the 23rd year the center has had a speaker come to campus in celebration of Women’s History Month.
“I’ve been to every speaker, and this one is the best by far,” senior Morgan Halwas said, referring to those she has heard during her time at St. Thomas.
Gay has written multiple fiction and nonfiction pieces for several magazines, newspapers and books. During her lecture, she read three examples, two of which were from “Bad Feminism,” and then opened the floor for questions, saying, “It’s more interesting to talk with you than at you.”
Gay also spoke about the pros and cons of being a feminist writer.
“(The main pro is) knowing that I’m equal to a man and having the confidence to stand up for myself,” Gay said. “When I’m feeling down I ask, ‘What would an average dude do?’”
There are, however, some drawbacks.
“For the most part it’s great, but the pressure, even when you ask to not be put on a pedestal, people still do,” Gay said. She also cited harassment, mostly online, as another challenge involved with being so vocal.
Gay’s openness and relatability is what connected graduate student Jessie McShane to Gay’s message.
“I just really appreciate your honesty,” McShane said to Gay. “You say that there’s some specific music you shouldn’t like or movies that you shouldn’t like, but you can still like those things and be a feminist. That resonates with me a lot, and I appreciate that.”
Other students appreciate Gay’s accessibility.
“If I want to introduce my friends to feminism, I can say, ‘Read this,’ and they can get that same message than if they had to teach themselves all these words and how to read academic articles,” senior Jazzmine Jackson said.
Gay’s closing remarks Wednesday evening highlight what many millennials at the lecture feel is the current social climate: shaming.
“When you shame people for where they’re at, they shut down and we’re never going to make progress,” Gay said.
Meghan Meints can be emailed at mein9517@stthomas.edu.