I have very strong opinions about a lot of things.

I could sit and argue with someone on a myriad of political topics for hours. I try to keep an open mind during these conversations—but frankly, I’m quite stubborn. 

Perhaps that is the reason behind my lack of social skills at times. I rarely give the other side of an argument a fighting chance, and I lose people in my life because of it. 

I can’t say I’m entirely proud of this trait. I know that it’s not fair for me to shut people out simply because I disagree with them, but I do it because I know, no matter what, I’ll never be alone. I can lose every single one of my friends, and my family, but my mother—she will still be by my side. 

My mom has always supported me. She’s taught me to stand up for what I believe in, even if the entire world disagrees. She’s taught me to treat everyone as equals because I never know what they’ve gone through to get there. She’s taught me to push past the standards that society sets in order to become the best version of myself. 

She’s taught me to become a feminist. 

I’ve always felt like the term feminism was sexist in itself. There shouldn’t be a stigma behind the idea of everyone being equal. A lot of people see feminism as this idea that women almost deserve more than men, but it’s not. 

Feminism is merely equality amongst all people. 

Gloria Steinem put it best when she said, “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” 

And. 

Women and men. 

It isn’t one or the other. It’s both of them. 

Women only want the opportunity to earn equal pay, to be seen as equals, to be treated as people rather than pawns, and to stop fighting for something that should’ve been resolved years ago. 

I’ve had people make fun of me for being a feminist, and it’s simply unfair. Why should I have to spend my life below this standard set by men? Why should I have to constantly apologize when I disagree with a man? Why should I have to rely on a man when I am perfectly capable of going through life on my own? 

But that’s not the entire idea of feminism. I ask myself these questions on a daily basis, but I also ask myself the question that shows the true intention of feminism: why should men have to live with that same standard of needing a woman to take care of?

There are men that ask themselves this same question daily, and they receive a substantial amount of backlash for it. It isn’t fair to them either. 

Our society is changing more and more as each day passes. Standards are changing, and people need to start being treated as equals. 

I’m tired of men deciding the outcome of a woman’s choice. I’m tired of hearing about the progress made by women over the years being reversed. I’m tired of being looked down upon for my feminism.

I am a feminist because my mom taught me to stand up for what is right—my mom taught me to stand up for equality.