A friend of mine recently said to me, "Melania Trump will be a bad First Lady because all she's ever done with her life is pose nude for money." Honestly, it took everything I had not to start yelling at him and create a scene. I did, however, inform him in no uncertain terms of my opinion on the matter.

First of all, yes. Melania (I've chosen to use her first name here because referring to her solely as "Trump" connotes her husband, Donald) has posed nude. She was paid for these photoshoots because that's what happens when you're a model. You sign onto jobs, the photographers tell you what they want you to do, and then they pay you for your work. It may seem to be in contrast to the image of the traditional, buttoned-up First Lady, but Melania's work history has no bearing on her ability to be a good First Lady.

Secondly, to state that all she's done with her life is pose nude is factually inaccurate. She began modeling at age 5 and starred in her first commercials at age 16. She graduated from high school in her native Slovenia, attended a secondary school for design and photography, and completed one year of university before dropping out to focus on her modeling career. She speaks six languages, and for many years in the 1990s and 2000s, was one of the most well-known and successful models in the world. "[Posing] nude for money" does not begin to describe the half of what she's done with her life.

My friend also contended that Melania has no initiatives she plans to begin as First Lady, which is, again, untrue. She has said on multiple occasions she plans to focus on women and children, as well as combating cyberbullying. However, it's important to remember that she doesn't have to undertake any initiatives. The position of First Lady is not an elected one, and Melania is under no obligation to do anything outside support her husband and be present at state events. Melania worked incredibly hard as a model to make a good life for herself, and she ended up married to an incredibly wealthy man (not to mention that she had no idea she'd end up as the First Lady of the United States when she married him!)

While his statement angered me for his attack on Melania, I was more deeply incensed because of what it says about women in general. He wrote her off as unable to contribute as First Lady because of a few photoshoots in her past. What does that say about the countless women who have done the same thing? Posing nude does not decrease your worth as a person. Working hard and doing what you have to do to make a better life for yourself doesn't diminish your value- it increases it. I see Melania as a strong woman who used her abilities to improve her life, and there is not, and will never be, anything wrong with that.

Lastly, if you consider yourself someone who advocates for women and their rights, you have to advocate for the rights of all women. You cannot choose to invalidate someone because of choices they've made in the past, or who their husband is. Rights for all truly means rights for all, and I think we could all use that reminder.