Grimes Rails Against Sexism: ‘I’m Done With Being Passive’

Grimes rails against sexism and the double standards she says she has faced as a female musician in an open letter the Canadian pop singer posted on Tumblr. “I don’t want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living,” she begins, before going into a series of definitive statements.

The singer defended her art, her artistic identity and herself in the post. “I don’t want to be molested at shows or on the street by people who perceive me as an object that exists for their personal satisfaction,” she wrote (though she later clarified in a follow-up post that she’s not talking about meeting fans while out in public). She’s also frustrated with condescending advice. “I’m tired of men who aren’t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out’ (without being asked), as if I did this by accident and I’m gonna flounder without them,” she wrote. “Or as if the fact that I’m a woman makes me incapable of using technology. I have never seen this kind of thing happen to any of my male peers.”

Grimes Stays in Charge of It All

“I’m tired of being considered vapid for liking pop music or caring about fashion,” she continued, “as if these things inherently lack substance or as if the things I enjoy somehow make me a lesser person.”

Grimes also expressed disappointment that her feminist stance has been misinterpreted as anti-male. “I’m sad that my desire to be treated as an equal and as a human being is interpreted as hatred of men, rather than a request to be included and respected,” she wrote, noting her close relationship with her four brothers, male friends and father. “I promise I do not hate men at all, nor do I believe that all men are sexist or that all men behave in the ways described above.”

Although Grimes has often been described as “cute” or a “waif,” she expressed her displeasure with the terms, regardless of any positive connotations, by posting the definitions of the words and exposing troublesome aspects of their definitions. “I’m tired of people assuming that just because something happens regularly it’s ok,” she wrote.

She expressed love for her fans and “everyone who has been cool and amazing,” and noted how much she loves her job. Speaking out, she wrote, is an act of standing up for herself and others. “I’m done with being passive about any kind of status quo that allows anyone to suffer or to be disrespected,” she wrote. “Grimes world tour is officially over, the Visions album cycle is officially over, and I’m now taking the time to overhaul everything and make it better.”