In recent news, feminists have been taking not only the Internet by storm but also the streets of every city in the United States. We made history on January 21st, 2017. Hundreds of people from all over the country participated in a march to protest against the war on women. There has been much backlash from not only social media but from our new President himself stating "he does not always agree" with these peaceful protests.

All politics aside, a feminist, by definition, is "a person who supports feminism." In that definition, there is no requirement regarding gender, meaning both a man and a woman can be defined as a feminist. Although, people in today's society have been choosing not to identify as feminists. In an attempt to avoid being belittled and criticized for being a feminist, people are frightened by mentioning the word. When someone says the word "feminist", society automatically assumes that it is a woman standing with a sign protesting about women's rights. It is expected that feminists have to be of a certain image, and that's definitely not the case. In fact, there have been a number of influential men that have identified as being a feminist and supporting women. These include Barack Obama, Daniel Radcliffe (yes, Harry Potter fans!), John Legend, Prince Harry, Ryan Gosling, and many more. The word feminist has no boundaries, whether you are male or female, young or old, LGBTQ, African-American, Caucasian, Asian, or European. As long as you support women's rights and gender equality, you are a feminist.

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As a feminist myself, I believe that I should be treated the same as my male counterparts. I believe that my paycheck and my male counterparts' paychecks should be identical. I believe I should be presented with the same opportunities that males are given. I believe that I should have the right to make decisions about my own body and I know that no one is going to take that right away from me, regardless of who they are. I believe that I should not be ostracized and be made to feel inferior just because I am a female. It is only right that women and men are treated equally, no matter the issue. I deserve the same respect, the same responsibilities, and the same rights as men. I identify as a feminist for the simple fact that I believe there should be equality between the sexes.

Going forward, I hope for the day when all people are treated equally, despite their biological features. I hope for the day when I don't have a single ounce of discomfort because I was born a woman instead of a man.