What comes to your mind when you first think of a feminist?
Let me guess: a woman with long, unruly hair or a close crop, no makeup, burning bras, hating every housewife and man, and seeing everything as demeaning women?
Well, it turns out, we're not all like that.
I identify as a feminist. I think women are treated unfairly in most areas of life.
At the same time, I'm a firm believer in the bra, and I enjoy wearing makeup. Perhaps most surprising of all, I don't hate all men. Who would have thought?
Obviously, the radical feminists have extreme views. Frankly, they're just giving the rest of us a bad name. Their behavior is extreme, off-putting and keeps the misinformed from diving any deeper.
Not all feminists hate men. Not all feminists are lesbians. I happen to have a lot of male friends, and I'm not a lesbian.
What I do hate, however, is when men expect things to be handed to them just because they have a Y chromosome.
An example of this is what I call the "nice guy card."
This happens when a guy is nice to a woman then expects to have sex with her at the end of the night simply because he was a decent human being.
What's worse is when the man gets angry about being rejected. Women experience this a lot, unfortunately.
When's the last time a guy told you about a girl yelling after him because he didn't go home with her?
One of the stigmas that lights my fire is the idea all feminists hate the typical housewife role.
I don't care if you want to be a housewife. Just don't force me into that box.
On the flip side, there are feminists that do hate the role and the fact that women choose to fill it, which makes me incredibly angry.
Feminism is about empowering women and men to choose their own way, whether it be fulfilling stereotypical gender roles or breaking them.
Another thing is the idea we don't wear makeup, take care of our hair or our bodies or generally not care about our appearances. I love makeup, and I take care of my hair and body.
The difference is, I do this because I want to be happy and do this for myself, not for the benefit of others.
Some women feel pressured to wear makeup, diet and fry their hair to fit into society's robotic view of what beauty is.
All women are beautiful, no matter their size, their hair or their eyelash length.
Women are taught from birth their appearances are what's most important. Men are not. It's just a fact.
I am a feminist because I want equality for all. I want women to be able to choose their own path, whether it be as a housewife or as the CEO of a corporation.
I want women to be able to turn down a man's advances without having the nice guy card played, or worse.
I want women to know their appearances are not what are most important; it's their minds.
I am a feminist because I want women to be recognized as people, not as objects.
When all is said and done, it isn't quite bra burning, is it?
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