On the evening of May 14^th, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada, three women--Kara McCullough of the District of Columbia, Chhavi Verg of New Jersey, and Meridith Gould of Minnesota--were left standing as the final contestants in the Miss USA 2017 beauty pageant.

The women went on to participate in the “Final Word” competition, in which each was given a chance to make an impression on viewers and judges by responding to the question, “What do you consider feminism to be, and do you consider yourself a feminist?”

First to answer was Miss District of Columbia. Standing on stage mesmerizing the audience with her long, white shimmering gown and her thick, dark curls, Kara replied, “So as a woman scientist in the government, I’d like to lately transpose the word 'feminism' to 'equalism'. I don’t really want to consider myself, try not to consider myself like this die-hard, like ‘I don’t really care about men.’ But one thing I am going to say is though women, we are just as equal as men when it comes to opportunity in the work place. And I say first hand I have witnessed the impact that women have in leadership in the medical sciences as well as in the office environment. So as Miss USA I would hope to promote that type of leadership responsibility globally to so many women worldwide”.

I cannot count how many times my fingers moved in a familiar, smooth path across the trackpad of my laptop and hit the replay button on the video of Kara giving that answer. I listened again and again to Kara’s words, letting the words sit with me, making sure I understood them. In the end, I came to the conclusion that Kara’s answer is somewhat problematic.

Let’s talk about why.

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1. Feminism is not man-hating

I’ve heard many people talk about how they cannot identify as feminists because they believe the ideology of feminism is man-hating and that feminism strives to reverse existing power structures so that women, instead of men, are placed in the dominant gender role. This is objectively false. Feminism, by definition, seeks to advocate for political, economic, and social opportunities for women in order to advance towards, and ultimately achieve, gender equality.

I browsed through several online sources that defined feminism (see Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and Cambridge English Dictionary as examples) and not one of them defined the word feminism as man-hating. Kara McCullough’s description of feminism as an “I don’t really care about men” attitude was in none of those definitions.

If you don’t believe me or the dictionary, perhaps you’ll better understand this information coming from a woman who impeccably embodies beauty, grace, and confidence, the very same values that pageants across the country, including the prestigious Miss USA, attempt to uphold. Famous actress and leading gender activist Emma Watson, in her speech to the United Nations, says, “The more I’ve spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. For the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”

2. The word Miss USA was looking for was “misandrist”

There is a word that is, quite literally, synonymous with man-hating. It is called "misandry.” Miss USA Kara McCullough was not asked whether or not she was a misandrist. She was asked whether or not she was a feminist. If she believes that there exist many advocates who are, to put it in her words, “like die-hard, like I don’t really care about men,” then she should describe them as they really are. Those individuals are not feminists, they are misandrists.

3. “Equalism” is not a word

Kara used the word “equalism” to define her stance on gender rights. “Equalism” is not a word. I looked through several online dictionaries. I even perused through a paperback copy of the Oxford English Dictionary I found lying on a dusty wooden shelf in the back section of the local library. The word “equalism” was nowhere to be found. However, I did find a word describing an ideology promoting equality between the sexes. That word was “feminism.”

4. When you’re in a position of power, it is dangerous to misinform

When the evening drew to a close, Kara McCullough was crowned Miss USA 2017. It is an accomplishment of a life-time to achieve this title. Young women across the country now look to this beautiful lady as a role model, as someone whose actions they will imitate, as someone whose words they will take in. Kara single-handedly has the power to influence millions of young minds across the country. If a women with her stature speaks incorrectly about an ideology that has tremendous effects on the same little girls that admire her, she will be riling them against a principle that exists only to benefit them. By saying this, she, and anyone else who misinterprets the idea of feminism, is in a way contributing to the continued oppression of millions of women across the globe.

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The first runner up of the competition was Chhavi Verg, Miss New Jersey. Chhavi is a rising junior at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. When asked about feminism, Chhavi, radiant in her glimmering black evening gown and her smooth, silky, dark locks, declared, “Feminism is striving for equality, and I do consider myself a feminist. I think it’s a misconception when people believe that feminism is women being better than men, but it’s really not. It’s about, it’s a fight for equality. We need to realize that if we want a stable society and a better future for every single individual, we need to be equal. And that’s why I advocate for education for women. Because women are still held back in places of the world. They still don’t have that right to their independence, that right to their equality. All because of education. And once we do take that step, I believe that an equal world will be a better world.”

Spot-on, Chhavi.

Chhavi’s response, in contrast to the answer the current Miss USA gave, demonstrated clear understanding of the definition of feminism and what it will take to spread gender equality throughout the world. Chhavi was not only beautiful and confident, she was clearly well-informed.

So congratulations to both women on a job well done. Yet I cannot shake the feeling that if winning the Miss USA crown involves intellect as well as beauty, then the victory should have been Chhavi’s.