Now when I say I'm not a feminist, I know I have instantly offended a mass quantity of you. Please keep reading, I might surprise you.

I am not a feminist because of the fact that the term "feminist" has gained a bad rap due to people who use the term falsely — those who call themselves feminist but degrade men and push for women to have a higher status or claim that women are superior. This, of course, isn't all people who claim to be feminists. Unfortunately, it is the select few who have misused the term and title of feminist who bring condemnation upon the rest: the men and women who genuinely seek gender equality. I am also not a feminist because I believe the term itself, though it was a push for gender equality, creates a misleading opinion.

Lets review, shall we. The official dictionary definition of "feminist" or "feminism," according to dictionary.com, is "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men." The word itself comes from the Latin word for women and the suffix "ist"" which is used to form a name corresponding to a job or an advocate of a doctrine, theory, or school of thought. This makes feminist appear to mean one who advocates women. Which confuses many into thinking that the word means "anti-men" or "women are better." I know that is not the intended meaning, but it does clarify why so many misinterpret it and reject it.

And while I would claim to be a feminist on account of the dictionary definition, the more modern interpretation, or rather misinterpretation, leads me to distance myself from that label. The problem with the word feminist is that it's antiquated. When the word/ideology first started to be used, the world suffered an enormous gender gap. Women had little to no rights and were considered the property of males, unlearned and weak. Feminism made sense then because advocacy for women's rights was an endeavor for equality. However, we have since seen the closing of the gender gap and while it is still present, it has diminished greatly. To now seek (only) women's rights, appears sexist. We live in an age where women have been given rights. The right to vote, own property, have a career, etc. So now the goal should not be to elevate women's right in order to close the gap, but to instead fight against the gender discriminations and stereotypes of both men and women.

Another reason I claim to be an advocate for gender equality as opposed to feminism is because I have seen how the perversion of the ideology of feminism has effected both men and women. Both genders face impossible expectations and discrimination, and the Feminist Movement has done a lot to fight against these. But more and more I come face to face with those who slander the mission of feminism and gender equality. Women and men who label themselves feminist and declare that women should be ruling the men, or that men deserve to suffer because of the centuries that women suffered as the "lesser" sex. These attitudes only serve to discredit the work that many feminists have done in an effort to dissolve the separation and inequality of the sexes.

And I am not a feminist, because so often I see feminists holding the view that men are predators and women are the prey/being preyed upon. I see feminists with just as many stereotypes of men and women as the people they claim to oppose. I see the feminist symbol as one of aggression. I see feminists claiming to be for equality, yet only advocating for women. Feminism shouldn't be about raising women up, but about bringing men and women together and towards equality. The sign for female with a fist in the center is not one of equality, but one of aggression. The gender equality symbol is something I can display proudly. One where both women and men are represented and united.

I am proud to say that I am for gender equality because it is an ideology that fights the backward thinking that women are less than men, that they can do less and that they are the property of men. I am also for gender equality because it fights for the boys and men that are told since infancy that they need to be tough and fearless and unemotional. While women face the impossible expectations of beauty and fashion and "ladylike behavior," men are given equally impossible expectations of success, strength and muscle mass.

Let's take a stand for gender equality. Don't let those who word sully the name of feminist beat you down and don't let feminism be about women gaining the advantage. Gender equality is something we can achieve, but only if we are willing to fight for the rights of men and women. Only when men and women are united against gender equality can we hope to eradicate it.