Haters, take note: singer Ariana Grande is tired of living in a world where women are referred to as a man’s “past, present or future” property.
In a tweet Sunday morning to 29 million followers, the pop star called on the media — and society at large — to stop obsessing over who she’s dating and value women for their accomplishments instead.
Her feminist proclamation included Gloria Steinem’s famous quote about a woman needing her “sisterhood” to defend against the status quo. The tweet earned more 27,000 retweets in less than two hours and drew praise from fans and celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Rita Ora.
She’s certainly not the first pop star to speak out against sexist double standards in the media or entertainment industry. But the 21-year-old’s contribution to the conversation is notable because of her reach — 29 million Twitter followers is nothing to sneeze at — and the demographic of her fan base, which skews young based on her success as a Nickelodeon star.
“It’s vitally important when celebrities and people with high public profiles speak openly and clearly about discrimination,” said media critic and feminist writer Soraya Chemaly.
“For a very long time, it seemed as though young women in the public eye were particularly cautious about revealing their experiences with sexism. But in the past two years. there has been a refreshing shift away from that and towards smart commentary on double standards that really affect people’s lives.”
The tweet came amid rampant tabloid gossip about Grande’s breakup with singer Big Sean and romance rumors with One Direction’s Niall Horan.
Grande said in the tweet that she has been avoiding “boy questions” in interviews after coming to the realization she has “so much more to talk about,” from her critically acclaimed debut album to her worldwide tour.
“I can’t wait to live in a world where people are not valued by who they’re dating / married to / attached to … but by their value as an individual,” she wrote.
“I’m saying this after literally eight years of feeling like I constantly had to have a boy by my side. After being on my own now for a few months I am realizing that that’s just not the case.”
The tweet also highlights double standards when it comes to men, women and relationships. When a women has sex or talks openly about sex, “she’s a slut,” Grande wrote. But a man is “regaled” if he “talks or raps freely” about the “bitches or hoes” he’s had.