Of love songs and fairytales

of identifying as a feminist

For the record I am a feminist. I believe in women’s rights. I believe in equal pay. I believe that women should have the same education as men. I believe that women shouldn’t be hindered by their biology. 

And no, I am not a lesbian, although I believe in a woman’s right to be with another woman, I am in a relationship with the most wonderful man in existence. And no, I am not a slut, although I believe in a woman’s right to practice her sexual preferences, I believe that my body is my own and would never relinquish control of it to another. And no, I do not hate men, although I believe that women have the right to stand up to misogyny of any kind, I was raised to respect men as my equal by a wonderful man who I am proud to have called my father. 

I don’t believe that women should be elevated to a status above men; I believe that women should receive the same rights and privileges as men. I don’t believe that women should be exempt from the responsibility that comes with those rights and privileges either. I think that as human beings we are all responsible for our actions and that our existence alone has a detrimental impact on another’s existence. It is our responsibility to lessen that impact.

I think that all women are feminists in their own way they’re just too afraid to identify as such because of the stigma that a small minority of feminists have managed to attached to that word. I am not ashamed of who I am. I am not going to argue with anyone over this identity. I believe that I have the right to be in this world free from oppression and free to live my life as I see fit.

Thank you for respecting that right.