Let me preface this by saying this is not a pro-Trump article. I think Trump is a chauvinistic bully and although I identify as a Republican, I stand with Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, in my concerns and hesitations to support a candidate that is so verbally disrespectful and sexist toward others. I am undecided about what I will do for the election, but that is not what this article is about. This article is about feminism and Hillary Clinton.

The term feminism is often viewed as something extremist. The word feminism is associated with bra-burning and pro-choice bumper stickers but those are two very drastic views of feminism. The dictionary defines feminism as: “an organized movement to obtain equal rights for women." This is a statement I support.

I want equal pay in the workplace for doing the same job a man does. I want equal opportunities to be considered for promotions and leadership roles without being questioned whether I will be respected the same way a man would. I want to be given an equal opportunity to be hired for any job I choose to apply for. I fully understand that men and women are biologically different and I respect and appreciate the differences, my only issue is when my opinion, ideas, or work matter less because I am a woman. I don’t want that for me and I don’t want that for my possible future daughters because their opinions, ideas and work should matter.

The main issue that seems to keep a lot of women from identifying as a feminist is the belief that women should have the right to their own bodies. Firstly, this is not something that can relate to a man because he is never responsible for another life inside of him; therefore there is no way to equate a woman’s choice to have an abortion to a man’s freedom to control his own body.

Secondly, I do believe I should have the right to my own body and making decisions for my body but my definition and society’s definition are very different. I want the freedom to have my no means no. I want the freedom to say no to unwanted touches and advances and have my no be respected and not questioned or violated. Society says that freedom to one’s own body is the freedom to terminate a life living within someone and this is where I disagree. In most circumstances, it is a woman’s right to choose what situations she puts her body in and whatever consequences should be dealt with. If a woman has unprotected sex with a man she does not know very well and contracts AIDS, she does not get to choose to get rid of AIDS. It is something that she will live with for her entire life. Freedom over my body isn’t avoiding consequences of my decisions and punishing someone else instead. I understand that pregnancy by rape is a different scenario and a woman is given consequences for a situation that she did not ask for. I also believe that God has bigger plans for the situation but this is not a religious article. Hillary Clinton supports late and almost full-term abortions.

Let me clarify that abortion is not the only reason I will not support Hillary Clinton, but it is a major issue that deals with feminism. I like the idea of a female president and would love to make history, but I do not want to make history with Hillary Clinton; I want women to first be represented by someone who is honest and reputable and those qualities are not found in Hillary Clinton. The takeaway from this article should be that Hillary Clinton does not dictate what feminism can and cannot be. A woman can be a Republican and a feminist. A woman can be pro-life and a feminist. Do not let the stereotypes and extremist views keep you from supporting a woman’s right to have her opinions, ideas and work to be viewed equally as a man’s.