I want to start off by saying that I don't think that there's anything wrong with the concept of feminism.

I totally believe that women were created to be as equally valuable as men. Me being a woman doesn't make me less valuable than a man. When we look at feminism from this perspective, it makes sense. Women should be paid an equal amount for putting in the same work as a man does. Women should have a lot the same job placement opportunities as men- that's fair.

The sad thing is that most people who claim to be feminists have a completely different concept of equality than what I just stated.

As I've studied the trends of our generation and the recent uprising of the feminist movement, I noticed that there's a bit of a paradox in their belief system. Many aren't fighting so that they'll be seen as equally valuable as men. They're fighting so that they can be seen as the same as a man.

These are also generally the same people who are complaining that chivalry is dead and that men don't treat women like they used to, but I thought that they didn't want to be treated differently? How could you expect a guy to pay for your meal or pull out your chair when you're begging him to see you as the same as himself.

I apologize if I seem offensive, but this is not the lifestyle that I want to support. As a mixed person living in the literal woods of south Mississippi, I've understood the concept of "diverse but equal" from a very young age. I was adopted by an all-white family. I do not want to be seen as white.

Instead, I understand that I'm equally as valuable as everyone else, and I celebrate my own race and culture. As women, we should do the same thing. Recognize that we are equal to man, but celebrate the differences that we have.

I'm happy to be a woman. As naturally independent as I feel that life has made me, I still like for my door to be held open. I like the fact that I am seen as someone meant to be protected by a man. Yes, I can be loud, assertive, and a little rough sometimes, but I'm proud that God made me to one day protect my husband in a way that only a woman could. Is it so wrong to be happy with being different than a man?

This is why I think that since our generation is so confused with themselves- their genders, races, the general concept of identity. We're so adamant about pushing self-love, but we tell women that they're worthless unless they can be seen as the same as a man. This may be against today's status quo, but I don't want to be seen in the same way men are.