This article is for all of the women who have ever had their gender questioned by another person.

For many people gender is a very personal thing. Some people identify as transgender because they don't feel comfortable in their own skin or for many other personal reasons. Others identify as non-binary or gender fluid, meaning that they may not identify as male or female, or that they feel more male on same days and more female on others. Many identify with the gender they were born with, but are more masculine or feminine than the fixed stereotypes of their gender. There are also people who identify with their gender wholeheartedly. These are only just a just a few examples which only address personal identity, not how everyone else perceives them.

Here's the thing, no matter your race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, etc. the gender you identify with is yours. Often in the media people who are white and cisgender are put on display. People of color and of a different sexuality or gender, other than straight and cis, don't usually get as big of a platform and in turn may not feel as validated. No matter who you are, where you come from, or who you love, if you identify as a woman, you ARE a woman.

Being a woman in today's world can have extreme moments of hardship. There are certain standards set by society that many woman feel as though they have to fit into. They have to look a certain way, act a certain way, and think certain things. Depending on where you live in the world breaking the mold of what people consider to be standard can be harder than it should be and sometimes even dangerous. This needs to change.

No one should ever make you feel as though you are less of a woman because you do not fit into their preconceived notion of what they believe a woman should be. If anyone ever makes you uncomfortable for being who you are, take a moment, remember how strong you are, and push forward.

To everyone else who feels the need to question another person on their gender, just don't. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.