Let me just start by saying I can’t speak for all men, and I can’t speak for all feminists. But I can speak for myself. So here we go.

I was raised by my mom in a house with two older sisters. Growing up, my mom instilled in all of us that we could do whatever we wanted to do as long as we worked hard and weren’t afraid to do things that made us uncomfortable. All three of us were taught that we could be doctors, or artists, or farmers - anything. There were never any conditions to it; we could be whatever we wanted to be.

It didn’t matter that they were girls and I was a boy.

There were plenty of strong, competent women in my life. My mom has worked for the State of Delaware for decades now, moving up and working long days for as long as I can remember. Some of her friends also work in government, or are CEOs, or businesswomen. Many of them had degrees, worked hard, and helped raised families at the same time. By watching my mom and the other important women in my life, and the important men, I just assumed that gender didn’t matter all that much - especially in the business world.

Once I got older, that mentality that my mom instilled in me never really changed. I believed that my sisters could hold any job they wanted just like I could, and assumed they would get compensated the same way that I would be. There weren’t any jobs that were exclusively for men or women, just jobs that people wanted to do or didn't want to do.

While thinking that women should have all the same rights and be treated the same way as their male counterparts just seems like common sense to me, apparently it makes me a feminist. If that’s what being a feminist means, I’m damn proud to be one.

Despite what some men think, being a male feminist doesn’t make you any less of a man. It doesn’t mean that you’re submissive, or weak, or dependent on women. It doesn’t mean you’re gay, or a bitch, or just saying it to get laid. Being a male feminist simply means that you think men and women should be treated the same way. It’s really simple. They should be paid the same for the work they do. They should be expected to share the responsibilities of cooking, and cleaning, and raising a family. They should be able to hold any job they want, live any kind of lifestyle they want, despite what previous gender roles may lead you to believe.

I don’t like the idea that my mom would make less than a coworker because she's a woman. I don’t like the idea that my sisters are systematically sexualized by the media and some men in the world. I don’t like the idea that my female friends have to worry about being victim-shamed because if they’re ever sexually assaulted, they “may have been asking for it” and “boys will be boys.” If you don’t like those ideas for the women in your life, hey, maybe you’re a feminist, too.