Sarah Jessica Parker’s has sparked heated discussion among fans after revealing she is not a feminist in the September Issue of Marie Claire.
When asked whether she identifies as a feminist, the mother-of-three says, “I am not a feminist. I don’t think I qualify.”
Explaining her reasoning why, she added, “I believe in women and I believe in equality, but I think there is so much that needs to be done that I don’t even want to separate it anymore. I’m so tired of separation.
“I just want people to be treated equally.”
The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the word feminism is “The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes”.
The star’s latest show, Divorce, premieres in October.
Sarah also had something to say about the gender pay gap.
“I would like all of that nonsense to end,” she says. “I would like women to get paid for the value of their contributions, not by old-fashioned ideas about gender.”
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But despite the comments, that left many scratching their heads, the 51-year-old wants her fans to know that she does, however, support the many Hollywood names who proudly declare themselves feminists.
“Listen, Jennifer Lawrence deserves every bit as much as her male counterpart. It’s indisputable. Emma Watson is an amazing young woman, and it’s important for her to talk about women’s issues,” she said of the actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.
“She isn’t concerned about herself. Women are paying the bills, getting it done, getting the kids here and there. The more we address that, we are all going to be better.”
SJP isn’t the only Hollywood A-lister to eschew the term.
In 2007 Geri Halliwell, who proudly once preached the words “Girl Power” throughout her career, dispelled that motto when she told The Guardian, “For me feminism is bra-burning lesbianism. It’s very unglamorous. I’d like to see it rebranded. We need to see a celebration of our femininity and softness.”
Upon receiving the Billboard award for Woman of the Year in 2012, Katy Perry announced, “I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women.”
And perhaps even more confusing were the words spoken by Miss Independent singer, Kelly Clarkson, who famously rejected the feminist label for being “too strong.”
“I think when people hear feminist it’s just like, ‘Get out of my way I don’t need anyone.’ I love that I’m being taken care of, and I have a man that’s an actual leader.”
While their comments may induce a disappointed sigh, you can be sure that there are plenty of names in the spotlight that are standing up for gender equality in their industry, and in every other.
Chris Hemsworth, whose role as a male receptionist in the female-led remake of Ghostbusters was considered to be a game changer, recently declared himself a proud feminist when speaking to RadioTimes.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” the father-of-three replied when asked if he identified with the label. “My mum’s a big feminist. I think that my views on things, as far as respect for women and so on, came from my mum.”
“My dad has a very balanced and respectful view on a lot of things too. They were huge positive influences in my life,” he continued.
The Aussie actor also expressed his sincere hope that one day both males and females will be respected in every industry equally.
“I think the balance has been tipped for a long time heavily in the men’s direction,” he said.
“But it’s a funny conversation to even have, because of course it should be that way. Of course it should be equal.”
US President Barak Obama recently wrote a personal essay on the importance of feminism for Glamour magazine.
