I am a feminist not only for myself, but for the young 3-year-old down the street who plays with her Barbie dolls without a care in the world. The girl I once was. The girl I was before society told me who I needed to be. I am a feminist in hopes that one day there will no longer be gender discrimination in this country.

I am a feminist, but I'm not a lesbian. Newsflash! Just because I support equality of the sexes, doesn't mean I am exclusively attracted to the same genitalia as my own. Just because I strive to be seen in the same hierarchy as men, doesn't mean I want to be treated like one of your “bros.”

I am a feminist, but I'm feminine. Wow! Surprise! I still wear makeup. I still do my hair. I still shave. Just because I am against the suppression of women, does not mean I care less about my personal hygiene. In fact, because I am a feminist, it makes me more comfortable in being feminine. Being feminine enhances my desire to take care of myself not for the benefit of men, but to gain confidence in being who I am.

I am a feminist, but I'm not sexist. Let's get one thing straight -- since the beginning of time, men have been treated as if they are above anything and everything else. It's time for women to be standing next to men on that pedestal. There should not be such thing as “meninism.” First of all, this is one of the most sexist things I have ever heard of. So for men to turn around and say that “feminism” shouldn't exist is incredibly hypocritical. This doesn't make me sexist. It makes me an egalitarian. Give me a break.

I am a feminist, but my goal isn't to create a society in which women overpower men. The definition of feminism, according to Merriam-Webster, is “the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” If anything, all I want is for women to be recognized as an equal counterpart to men. Is that too much to ask? For every dollar a man is paid, a female is paid 79 cents for the same task. That's a 21 percent wage gap. And people still have the audacity to say that there is no such thing as gender discrimination? Don't humor me with your incredible ignorance.

I am a feminist, but I don't despise stay at home moms. As a feminist raised by a practically single stay-at-home mom, I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who choose their family over an office job. Being a stay-at-home mother should be considered a career as I find it as one of the most difficult jobs out there. So no, just because I support equal pay for equal work does not mean I look down on the women who work 24/7 for the care of their children. They are raising the next generation and are doing a damn good job at it.

I am a feminist, but I am not against marriage. I wholeheartedly applaud those who have the courage to spend the rest of their life with the one they call their soulmate, whomever that may be. In fact, marriage supports the feminist cause. A marriage’s soul purpose is to create a union in which both parties are equal.

I am a feminist, but I don't intend on staying single forever. Like I said before, I don't hate every man on the planet. The only ones I have little respect for are those who have little respect for the opposite sex. I will not tolerate being put in the inferior position. That is the type of relationship I will not stand being in.

I am a feminist, but I don't protest on the street. I don't run around the streets carrying picket signs with my armpit hair hanging out as I burn my bra in the street square. Such a ridiculous stereotype. Sure, some feminists do that, but saying that every feminist does such is like saying every Muslim is a terrorist, which we can all agree, is incredibly wrong.

I am a feminist, but I'm not an angry person. Granted, I am fed up with injustice, but I have the right to be angry. Every human on this planet is entitled to their own emotions. I'm not hurting anyone by voicing my opinion. An opinion that is undeniably true. Anyone who chooses to turn a blind eye is simply ignorant and needs some serious reevaluation.

I am a feminist in hopes that one day the 3-year-old girl down the street can grow up and be paid for the same work done by the man in the cubicle next to her. My hope is that one day she will not be objectified and seen as just any other human being on her neighborhood block.

I am a feminist, so she too can be a feminist for the little girl down the block.