Ariana Grande: 27 Years of Inspiration – Celebrating Her Feminist Journey and Empowered Words

Defending Herself After Piers Morgan Said She Used Nudity to ‘Sell Records’

“I use my talent AND my sexuality all the time because I choose to. Women can be sexual AND talented. Naked and dignified. It’s OUR choice. 🖤 & we will keep fighting til people understand. I say this [with] all due respect but thank u, next.

“Also @piersmorgan, I look forward to the day you realize there are other ways to go about making yourself relevant than to criticize young, beautiful, successful women for everything they do. I think that’ll be a beautiful thing for you and your career or what’s left of it.”

– on Twitter

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Firing Back at People Who Blamed Her for Late Ex Mac Miller’s DUI Arrest

NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES

“How absurd that you minimize female self-respect and self-worth by saying someone should stay in a toxic relationship because he wrote an album about them, which btw isn’t the case (just Cinderella is ab me). I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be. I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course) but shaming / blaming women for a man’s inability to keep his s— together is a very major problem. Let’s please stop doing that. Of course I didn’t share about how hard or scary it was while it was happening but it was. I will continue to pray from the bottom of my heart that he figures it all out and that any other woman in this position does as well.”

– on Twitter

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Confirming That She’ll Always Wear Whatever She Wants

FREDERICK M. BROWN/GETTY

“If you’re going to rave about how sexy a male artist looks with his shirt off, and a woman decides to get in her panties or show her boobies for a photo shoot, she needs to be treated with the same awe and admiration. I will say it until I’m an old-ass lady with my tits out at Whole Foods. I’ll be in the produce aisle, naked at 95, with a sensible ponytail, one strand of hair left on my head and a Chanel bow. Mark my words. See you there with my 95 dogs.”

– to Billboard

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Getting Pumped for the 2017 Women’s March

ARIANA GRANDE/INSTAGRAM

“I’m so excited to march with these two incredible ladies tomorrow! I can’t wait to share this #womensmarch with the strongest women in my life and with all of the other strong, beautiful, unique, empowered, brilliant, amazing women out there who are marching as well!”

– captioning a photo of her mother and grandmother, on Instagram

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Defending Her Sexuality

AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

“When will people stop being offended by women showing skin / expressing sexuality? Men take their shirts off / express their sexuality onstage, in videos, on Instagram, anywhere they want to… All. The. Time. The double standard is so boring and exhausting. With all due respect, i think it’s time you get your head out of your ass. [sic] Women can love their bodies too!!”

– responding to a commenter who said she was “like a whore” in her “Dangerous Woman” video, on Facebook

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Standing Up for Kesha Amid Her Legal Battle With Dr. Luke

JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC)

“The incredible double standard that we [women] face on a daily basis, in the industry and just in the world, it’s shocking. I would be so amused, and pardon me if this comes across as sexist, but I don’t think a male artist would be in this position right now. Sorry. If i’m speaking about something that I’m passionate about, I’m willing to take the brunt for fighting in what I believe in and my fellow women are definitely something that I will always be one of the first to speak up about.”

– on The Daly Download

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Calling Out Sexist Interview Questions

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

“Is this what you think girls have trouble choosing between? … Is this men assuming that that’s what girls would have to choose between? … You need a little brushing up on equality over here.”

“I have a long list of things I’d like to change … I think, judgement in general. Intolerance, meanness, double standards, misogyny, racism, sexism. You know, all that shit. There’s lots we’ve got to get started on. That’s what we need to focus on. We’ve got work to do.”

– responding to the question “If you could use makeup or your phone one last time, what would you pick?” on California’s Power 106 FM

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Shutting Down Body-shamers Who Compared Her to Ariel Winter

FRAZER HARRISON/AMA2015/GETTY

“Sigh … tweets, comments, statement like this are not okay. About anyone!!! We live in a day and age where people make it IMPOSSIBLE for women, men, anyone to embrace themselves exactly how they are. Diversity is sexy! Loving yourself is sexy! You know what is NOT sexy? Misogyny, objectifying, labeling, comparing and body shaming!!! Talking about people’s body’s as if they’re on display ASKING for your approval / opinion. THEY ARE NOT!!!! CELEBRATE YOURSELF. CELEBRATE OTHERS. The things that make us different from one another make us BEAUTIFUL. BODY BOUNDARIES. LOVE LOVE LOVE ONLY.”

– on Instagram

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Pointing Out That She’s More Than Her Relationships

KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE FOR MTV

“I’m tired of needing to be linked to a guy, I’m not Big Sean’s ex, I’m not Niall’s new possible girl. I’m Ariana Grande.”

– to The Sun

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Clarifying Her Comments on Being an Individual

SPLASH NEWS

“What I meant when I said what I said about not being Sean’s ex is that I am tired of living in world where women are mostly referred to as a man’s past, present or future PROPERTY / POSSESSION. I … do not. Belong. To Anyone. But myself. And neither do you … I can’t wait to live in a world where people are not valued by who they’re dating/ married/ attached to, having sex with (or not)/ seen with … but by their value as an individual. “

– on Twitter

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Slamming Critics Who Body Shamed Her and Nicki Minaj Following Their Nba All-star Game Show

“[People] are so ignorant sometimes. Stop trying to make people feel badly about their bodies. It’s okay to be different … to be curvy or to be thin. When did it become socially acceptable to comment on what you think is ‘wrong’ with other people’s bodies? We were having fun! Dancing on stage. ‘What’s she shaking tho???’ I’m shaking my pretty, cute, petite ass next to Nicki’s pretty big booty. Both are f—ing awesome. How about we respect people’s body boundaries and encourage each other to feel like a babe no matter how they are? That [would] be nice. So tired of watching everyone try to tear each other down.”

– on Instagram

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Getting Real About Double Standards

Ariana Grande. KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE

“Gloria Steinem published an article in 1969 titled ‘After Black Power, Women’s Liberation’ and 46 years later … we’re still not quite there yet! If a woman has lots of sex (or any sex for that matter) … she’s a ‘slut.’ If a man has sex … HE’S. A. STUD. A BOSSSSSS. A KING. If a woman even talks about sex openly … she is shamed! But if a man talks or RAPS freely about all the women (or more commonly used ‘bitches’/’hoes’ … how lovely) he’s had … he is regaled. If a woman is seen with a friend with a penis, there is immediate assumption of romance or sex and she is labeled!!! If a man is seen with a woman his status is elevated/celebrated.”