Even Mr. Feeny couldn't have said it better. Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard proved she's wise beyond her 13 years when she responded to a Tumblr user who asked her opinion about "white feminism."
"This is such an important thing to be discussing," Blanchard — who plays Riley, the daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) — wrote in a series of Instagram posts on Saturday, Aug. 22. "I have made a very big point at making sure my personal feminism includes everyone — and educating myself and discussing these topics have really helped."
The Disney Channel actress went on to note some common so-called "feminist issues," including "sexual assault, rape, abortion, Planned Parenthood, domestic violence, equal education, and the wage gap." She also pointed out, however, that "police brutality and race issues are our issues too."
"'White feminism' forgets all about intersectional feminism," she wrote. "The way a black woman experiences sexism and inequality is different from the way a white woman experiences sexism and inequality. Likewise with trans women and Hispanic women."
Blanchard then cited statistics about the wage gap for women of different ethnicities before quoting Kimberle Crenshaw's perspective on how "women experience oppression in varying configurations and in varying degrees of intensity."
This is especially true, she said, for transgender women and women of color. "It is SO important to protect trans women and trans youth, as they are incredibly at risk when it comes to sexual assault and hate crimes," she argued. "People also seem to forget that black women are victims of police violence too…"
Her essay included a reference to fellow teen star Amandla Stenberg, who has previously made headlines for her insight into various issues related to race and feminism. "The fact that when Amandla Stenberg wrote this beautiful and truthful piece she was automatically labeled the 'angry black girl' says enough," Blanchard wrote.
She concluded by taking note of how gender and racial stereotypes contribute to the problem. "I have personally seen men get called gay/f**/pu*** for wearing anything even remotely feminine. Gay is simply not an insult," she asserted.
"To only acknowledge feminism from a one-sided view when the literal DEFINITION is the equality of the sexes is not feminism at all," she finished. "We need to be talking about this more. Discussion leads to change."
