And immediately, the headline strikes some as strange. I understand that, and I'm 100 percent sure there's a form of a wage gap in America.

But to make that the biggest of issues regarding gender equality is absurd.

I've been very vocal about feminism specifically, especially regarding the article I wrote dissecting over a year ago and this one that involved interviewing feminists around me. But it baffles me when I see posts about topics that only concern first-world countries or involve bashing men to make a point.

If there's one motto that I have about this type of situation, it's that equality is not supremacy of the oppressed.

It absolutely is not, and this is coming from a woman of color. It definitely pains to see the inequality minorities have had to endure for generations upon generations, but there is absolutely no point in turning around and reciprocating that hatred if that does not equal progression. If we want progression, we start from where we are and carry forward to empower the men and women around the world who do not have the same opportunities that we do.

And even in America, there are inequality-related problems that are important to consider when trying to segue into a progressive society. For example, hold men and women to the same standard and the same accountability. By this, I mean that it is not OK to praise a female for being controlling and rude to her significant other when a man is called an abuser for doing the same. In both situations, it is considered domestic abuse. Gender equality is not seeing a woman bring down a man or another woman who disagrees with her and calling that justified because she has had to endure that as a female.

It's as if we suddenly disregard how hard we've worked to bring abuse to the spotlight because the person being discussed is a woman. And that's honestly disturbing.

This makes it tough for me to be able to support many activist and feminist accounts on social media, mostly because their beliefs are much more extreme than mine. And also because many are guilty of pardoning women for the same acts a man can be threatened for. I truly dislike seeing so many empowering posts and then coming across one that screams the opposite of progression.

Where did the mentality of moving forward go?

And for what cost? The temporary satisfaction of knowing you have the ability of being a bully? It saddens me that this is what we aim for.

I'm not justifying abuse on any side because frankly, no matter who does it, their age, their skin color, their height, their weight and their gender have nothing to do with how accountable they should be for what they've done. Abuse is abuse, and that's it.

And going back to the point about avoiding first-world problems, I see that all the time, too. The past should not be forgotten because it has shaped minorities today, but it should also set an example of what we want to avoid. Many of those problems still exist in third-world countries, and efforts should be directed there, not toward movements like Always and their failed attempt at "gender equality."

It's strange to see this category of thinking typed out because I've only discussed it in-person with the people around me. And more than I'd like to admit, we clash in ideas. I usually get their point of view, but it's scary every time I suddenly see the amplitude in their voice raise and the color of their face turn a bright red. It's a tense conversation to have.

In general, we've all come to the point where politics can ruin friendships, but never should it ruin the one thing minorities across the world have aimed for: progression and equality.