Yes, Pharrell, You’re Allowed to Be a Feminist!

Back in May, Pharrell Williams was asked by Britain’s Channel 4 News if he considers himself a feminist. “I don’t think it’s possible for me to be that,” he said. “I’m a man. It makes sense up until a certain point. But what I do is—I do support feminists. I do think there’s injustices. There are inequalities that need to be addressed.”

But earlier this week, in an interview with BuzzFeed, the singer was again asked if he identifies with the f-word and changed his tune: “If I’m allowed to be. If feminism is a synonym for equality, then, yeah, sure,” he said.

We’re here to say—you’re welcome in our club, Pharrell! Even though you’ve been a decidedly controversial figure—what with the whole “Blurred Lines” situation—we know you’re still learning the ropes and your heart is in the right place (you did, after all, stand up for Sweden’s Feminist Initiative party in September).

So go on with your feminist self. And wear this fabulous “Girls Are Every Ting” jacket with pride.

If you need a little help fully embracing your feminism, feel free to browse our list of favorite feminist reads, as chosen by Ms. staff and editors. And if you still have questions about what this movement is all about, feel free to call up one your fellow “out” male feminists, Aziz AnsariJoseph Gordon-Levitt or Daniel Radcliffe.

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About

Stephanie hails from Toronto, Canada. She is a Ms. writer, a master of journalism candidate and a hip hop dancer/instructor/choreographer. She got her start in feminist journalism at the age of 16 when she was a member of the first editorial collective at Shameless magazine—and she has never looked back.