BEING WOKE IS OUT (APPARENTLY)

Just like lavender-scented face—the word on the street is that being woke is no longer fashionable. So if you finally got your head around neopronouns and the whole social cancellation thing... well, sorry babe, we’re back to square one. Ctrl + Z.

🎶 ONE, TWO, THREE… A STEP FORWARD, MARIAH... 🎶

The word woke resurfaced in the 2010s, especially around the Black Lives Matter movement, meaning having a critical awareness of social injustices—racism, misogyny, queerphobia and the like.

To be woke meant to be conscious, empathetic, and informed—especially about systemic inequality. (Woke moment!) But now it’s 2025 and... suddenly being woke isn’t quite the vibe anymore:

In political spheres (yes, especially English-speaking ones 👀), far-right narratives have branded the woke movement as a cult pushing ideological tyranny. Cue anti-trans legislation and “war on pronouns”.
Global brands—those once at the frontlines of diversity and inclusion—are quietly stepping back. Less rainbow merch for Pride, fewer glittery floats. (The pinkwashing test, failed.)
There’s a growing sentiment of cultural fatigue: that the woke brigade “went too far”—into policing comedy, cancelling art, or calling out anyone making sushi without a passport from Kyoto.

CUE THE OLD UNCLE TAKE: “AREN’T YOU ALL BEING A BIT OVERDRAMATIC?”

But zoom out, and there’s no denying the wins:

Social values have shifted—language has evolved (hello, LinkedIn pronouns), media’s more diverse (yes, even Disney), and there’s more awareness of privilege.
Digital culture made it global—social media keeps the social justice convo alive.
Society, in many parts, is far more open than it was 75 or even 50 years ago.
Today, saying you’re in a same-sex relationship or have an open one raises fewer eyebrows than, say, a guy applying eye cream every morning.

THE VISIBILITY TRAP

But here’s the catch: just because mainstream culture looks more inclusive (Netflix shows, trendy slogans, branded allyship) doesn’t mean the protection runs deep.

Especially when so many “non-negotiable” wins—like LGBTQ+ education in schools, trans bathroom access, or safeguarding anti-discrimination laws—are suddenly being rolled back.

WHEN YOUR EXISTENCE IS UP FOR DEBATE AGAIN

Being woke isn’t a passing trend or a Twitter hashtag. For many queer, racialised, or otherwise marginalised people, what’s up for debate isn’t wokeness—it’s their rights, safety, and daily lives. Their mere existence is being questioned. Again.

Time to start from scratch? Do the emotional labour? Turn the other cheek?

Maybe not.

Because when once-supportive "moderates" and brands suddenly jump ship to avoid backlash, that silence is political. That retreat is betrayal.

If there’s a cultural pushback, then maybe it’s time for a counterattack—not begging (again) for the right to exist, but demanding it. Unapologetically. Loudly. Inconveniently. Fire meets fire. Because we know how this goes:
First they came for them... then for us. And by then, there was no one left to speak up.

HAPPY PRIDE

P.S.: Still not out of style: our. Wowyoung anti-ageing serum. Keeps you looking glowy, rested, wrinkle-free and riot-ready—whether you’re out marching or out dancing. Until dawn.