Emma Watson Says Men Can Be Feminists Too And It’s Not Hard
Everyone know British actress Emma Waston (Harry Potter) is a staunch feminist and during a visit to the Facebook headquarters in London, she had some interesting tips for the men in your life about how they too can join the cause.
First some background. In September of 2014, Watson joined the United Nations campaign, “He For She”, “a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all.” This controversial topic has made headlines recently, as activists attempt to narrow the gap between the sexes, especially in the workplace.
However, for Emma Watson, being a male feminist is not all about equal pay or treatment at work. During the Q&A in London, the 24-year-old star talked about what makes a real feminist man.
As any modern woman, Emma doesn’t mind picking up the check after a date. Being a celebrity is hard on your personal life and Watson is a smart lady, but it’s not all about who pays the bill, it’s about old fashioned chivalry.
“…just because women want equality does not mean that acts of chivalry towards women must end. Chivalry is consensual and only becomes a problem when people expect things to be a certain way and follow the status quo.”
“I once took a man out for dinner, I chose the place and I paid… and it was really awkward, it didn’t go down well! But the cool thing was we were both willing to have the conversation about why it was so uncomfortable.”
During Emma Watson’s Q&A, published on GQ, she made one thing clear to her audience, “If you stand for equality, you’re a feminist – I’m sorry to tell you, but you are.”
A few hours after embracing the He For She campaign, the actress was threatened with the release of nude photos by anti-feminist groups. At the time, Watson wasn’t fazed and was determined not to let it stop her. As reported by the Inquisitr, the photos didn’t even exist, but this didn’t mean Emma was happy.
“I was just raging. It made me so angry, this is why I have to be doing this. If anything, if they were trying to put me off, it was the opposite.”
As a sister to four brothers, Emma knows all about posturing and the trashing of women on the part of men. She realizes better than anyone, that men also suffer with gender inequality as they are expected to be tough and rough, and not show their feelings.
“I’m really genuinely disturbed by this idea that men can’t cry and that they can’t express themselves and talk about how they actually feel. I think that’s the saddest thing in the world. It’s what makes you human.”
“I’ve got four brothers, gender inequality is affecting them just as much as me. A lot of posturing goes on with men, my brother once said to me he just couldn’t be around his guy friends, the way they talk about girls.”
Emma Watson has come a long way since her Harry Potter days. The role of Hermione Granger launched her career into stardom and now she is using her incredible influence for causes she is passionate about. Men can learn a thing or two about feminism from this outspoken young lady.
[Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment]
