Oftentimes, when I tell someone that I am a feminist, they wave their hand and scoff at me as if I just told them I was a part of some silly club. While I could easily jump into an hour-long lecture with an accompanying PowerPoint presentation about why I am a feminist and they should be too, I refrain. Most people fear the word feminism because they do not truly understand what it means. But to quote the late, great Albus Dumbledore "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

Because I am one of the very few feminists in my (very large) conservative family, I find it hard to engage in conversations about current events without getting into heated disagreements. I love my family unconditionally but having opinions, beliefs and morals that differ from those of the hive can often make me feel as if I can't express my thoughts without being shut down. While I celebrated the legalization of gay marriage, I know my family did not. While I 100 percent believe that women should be the only ones in charge of what happens to their bodies, I know my family does not. While I recognized the courage in Caitlyn Jenner when she came out as transgender, I know my family did not. It's hard to have feminist role models when none exist in my family, so I have to turn to celebrities. Here are five famous role models that inspire me to be a better feminist:

Emma Watson

Emma Watson, best known for her portrayal of Hermione in the "Harry Potter" movies, is one of the best champions for feminism. In 2014, Watson was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and created a campaign entitled HeForShe, which challenged men to fight gender stereotypes and advocate for gender equality. From a young age, Watson recognized the inequality she faced compared to boys, which only grew as she spent more and more time in the public eye. Her advocacy led to her receiving death threats and being falsely accused of having nude photos, but this did not hinder her in her campaigning. It only motivated her more.

Here is Watson's speech launching the HeForShe campaign:

Malala Yousafzai

In Pakistan on October 9, 2012, while riding the bus to school, Malala Yousafzai was attacked and shot in the head by the Taliban. Prior to the assassination attempt, Malala and her father had been a voice in her community in the Swat Valley for girls' education. She was very outspoken, writing blogs and appearing on television shows. The Taliban, who had banned girls from receiving education in northwest Pakistan, decided to act and tracked Malala down. The militants stopped her bus, entered and demanded to know which one was Malala. After identifying her, they shot her multiple times, including once in the head. After being flown to a hospital in Peshawar and enduring multiple surgeries, Malala was eventually flown to Birmingham in the UK where she would awake from her coma on October 17, 2012.

She was finally released from the hospital in early January of 2013 and returned to school, this time in the UK. Malala received an outpouring of love and admiration from all over the world, including from President Barrack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and former First Lady of the U.S. Laura Bush.

Following her attack, Malala has met with Queen Elizabeth, spoke before the United Nations, confronted Obama about his drone usage in Pakistan, addressed the Oxford Union, spoke at the Girl Summit in London, and received the World Children's Prize, all in advocation for girls' access to education. On October 10, 2014, Malala was announced as a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to end the oppression of youth and for the right for all children to access education. She is not only the second Pakistani to win the prize, but, at age 17, is the youngest to do so. Since her shooting, she has released a book entitled "I Am Malala" and is set to appear in the documentary "He Named Me Malala" that will air this year. Malala had never referred to herself as a feminist until she met with fellow women's rights activist Emma Watson in summer of 2015.

Matt McGorry

You may know him from his portrayal of Officer Bennett in the Netflix series "Orange Is The New Black" or as Asher from ABC's "How to Get Away With Murder," but what you may not know about him is that he is a very active feminist. He published an article on Cosmopolitan.com explaining how and why he became a feminist and that it felt like "falling in love". With one look at his Twitter or Instagram accounts, it is blatantly obvious that this man is a feminist. He strongly campaigns for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, and follows the Black Lives Matter movement.

Read his Cosmo article here.

Amy Poehler

Good old Amy Poehler. Who doesn't love this hilarious woman? Her portrayal as Leslie Knope in "Parks And Rec" is grade A and, quite frankly, it's a shame that show ever had to end. Just like her character on "Parks and Rec," Amy Poehler is a feminist. She has been outspoken about teaching young girls to love themselves and to not worry about being "too bossy."

She also preaches about not trying to fit into every box that society has created for women. We are told that we have to be funny but not too funny, cool but not too cool, tough but not too tough, feminine but not too feminine, and Amy wants to eradicate that concept.

Tom Hardy

Starring in films such as "Warrior", "Mad Max: Fury Road", and "Bronson", Hardy has become a very well-known actor who is loved and adored by many women and men. After filming "Mad Max: Fury Road," Hardy had to deal with some reporters who questioned why a woman was the lead. At a press junket, Hardy was asked if, when he read the script, he wondered why there were these women in a film for men, and Hardy responded with a simple, "No. Not for one minute."

He recognizes the lack of strong roles for women in Hollywood and believes that more male roles should be written for women, without question. He attributes his belief in feminism to the strong women in his life, such as his mother and his wife.