I feel as if there aren't enough people who truly understand what feminism and sexism is all about. Anytime I hear anything about feminism, it is not in good light. I constantly hear feminists being called "man-haters." That is not how it is supposed to be. It isn't meant to be as if a woman is better than a man.

I am a feminist because I believe in equality for all sexes. Yes, there are a lot of people who take it out of context and use feminism as an excuse to blame men or belittle them. Those people are the ones making feminism into something it is not nor what it was meant to be. Think for a second though, don't people do that with just about anything?

For example, some people do this with religion. Some people take the Bible out of context and try to use it as a way to stand against things such as gay marriage and sexuality. Well, just because some people claiming to be Christians act this way, we don't say all Christianity is bad. So why do we act this way with feminism? What happened to what it is actually standing for?

Another thing I get asked all the time is if feminism is supposed to be about equality, then why is it called feminism and not just labeled equality?

Well, the simple fact is that it is called feminism because sadly, women are the ones who even started realizing that it wasn't right to be treated like less of a person than a man. Woman have always have been at the bottom of the totem pole with the aspect of having a voice in social and political standpoints.

The definition of feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social and economic quality to men. This doesn't mean we want to be treated better than men, but we'd rather be treated with the same respect. This can also stem off into the aspect of sexism, which is the prejudice and discrimination on the basis of sex. Typically, it's against women. That being said, I stress not being sexist to just about everyone in my life.

Being in today's society isn't as bad as it used to be, compared to the way it was many years ago when women were treated very badly out in the open. Now it is more of a passively expressed thing. You shouldn't make someone feel inadequate simply because they were born with or without a vagina.

I don't hate men, and if anything I find myself defending men more than women. I hear people on a daily basis expressing how you should and shouldn't be because of your sex. Most men are raised and taught to be tough, that emotions are a sign of weakness, that men cannot be weak and that men are supposed to be the one to wear the pants and take control. Most women are raised and taught to be emotional, loving, needy and dependent. You are raised to be a certain sex. How about we raise our children to be happy human beings?

How about we do our best to preach being good person with a good heart? Many people argue this logic and say how women and men can't be equal because of their different makeup of hormones and that all around they are different human beings. This is true to an extent. I am not asking that myself and a man be able to have the same feelings on everything, to have the same strength and to have the same physical ability. I am asking that before you assume I am weak, delicate and incapable, you let me make that choice. Do not assume because I am a woman I can't do some of the things that a man does.

I do not think it is right to imprint sexist things in a child's mind. I am sick of being afraid to like and do certain things in fear of being judged or doubted. I am afraid for my future children. I am afraid that my son with get teased for wanting to wear pink, play with dolls or for showing emotion. I am afraid my daughter will get teased for wanting to wrestle around, for being hardworking or for not showing enough emotion. I will allow my children to be independent human beings that have are free to do the things they love, whether it be considered girly or boyish.

I have a great boyfriend in my life, he is supportive and my best friend. I was scared to tell him I was a feminist just because I was scared of the reaction. Now I am proud to say what I believe is right. When I did tell him, though, he almost cringed. Not because he is a bad person, but simply because he was raised by his family and friends that feminism was a bad thing and that sexism didn't exist. He simply didn't understand what it truly even meant. He stands by me, but some people aren't as lucky as I am.

I simply believe men and women are able to be equal human beings. Man or woman, you are able to admit you have emotions, you can be gentle, you can be rough, you can choose to work a nine to five job or you can choose to be a stay at home spouse. Either way, you are adequate. The sex you are should not stop you or change the way you have to act.

I don't love the idea of living in a world that thinks me having a job and being independent and loud makes me less feminine. I don't love the idea of my husband feeling like less of man because he doesn't work a hard labor job with crazy hours or because he is gentle and loving instead of being tough and emotionless. It isn't right. I don't like being myself and people saying how I need to be a lady. I don't understand how when I say that I'm just having a hard day someone can totally understand "because women get like that sometimes," but when a man says he is having a hard day, he gets told to suck it up.

I don't expect my husband to be tough and heartless. I don't expect to him to have to provide for me because that's said to be his duty as the man of the house. As a woman, I don't want my future husband to expect me to be super loving, overly emotional and dependent on him. I don't want him to expect to come home to me at his service, simply because that's said to be my duty as a woman. I don't want to have a child and worry that I am not taking enough time off to spend with my child because that can be my only job. I don't want to have to deal with people judging me for wanting to work even though I have a child. Believe it or not, you can do both. You can still love your child and have a full-time job that you love.

It's frowned upon for a woman to work extra hours, yet society tells men that work extra long days how great they are. Men are taught that they don't have a strong emotional connection with a child and that's why they don't need to take time off work to spend with their newborn baby. But for a woman, it's frowned upon if you want to go back to work. This is sad not only for the fathers who wish they could be the emotional and loving parent without but judged, but also for the mothers who want to do both but are told they are incapable.

If a woman cancels plans for her man, it's sweet and considerate. If a man cancels plans for his woman, he gets told that he is whipped. Men are almost always expected to give gifts too, but when a woman does something it's unacceptable. If a woman pays for dinner, she's said to be in control and her actions were too much. But if a man pays for dinner, it's normal, expected and frowned upon when it's not done this way.

I wish the world would treat everyone as they want to be treated. I am a woman, a human being, a person just like everyone else. I am not a damsel in distress. I don't need a man to lean on. I am a feminist because I am independent. I believe you should do things based on what you want and what's good with your life, not what is expected because of your gender.

I just ask that people become more open-minded over time. A person is a person and everyone can individually do what they want. I personally believe putting a man down because he likes pink and putting a woman down because she like blue is stupid. In a world like ours, you need to find positivity and have an open mind to survive.