For quite a while now, there has been a negative connotation associated with the term “feminism." People sometimes perceive the word to signify those who participate in “men hating” activities or ordeals. This skewed idea of this word, one initially created with the intent to bring about awareness to a somewhat “taboo” topic, has been twisted in the eyes of a good portion of society. The deranged and misinterpreted meaning of feminism is partially a result of the influence of biased and ill-informed media.

We, as feminists, want to reclaim a word that has been unfairly misinterpreted. We, feminists, want to express our definition of the word how we best see fit.

Due to a fairly new deep understanding of what feminism really is, I have been able to entirely disregard the question of whether identifying as a feminist is something to be proud of or not. Now, I am confident in defending who I am as a feminist and what feminism means to me. Because, in the end of the day, what each of us as individuals believe in our core is what truly matters.

For this reason, I can confidently say as a proud feminist that I will never allow a single person to ever completely dictate my life in terms of how I feel and to what extent I feel comfortable experiencing and enjoying stages of happiness. I will never subject to those who make me feel like I am unworthy, because I know I this is untrue. I will never allow sexist, racist, or any other types of discriminatory language to be used without my immediate and forceful interference. I will stand up for those who are afraid to stand up for themselves, and never dismiss my own emotions, even when negative.

I will disallow the continuation of toxic friendships, relationships, or even acquaintances with those who disrespect me or my deepest values. I will defend those who claim they have been sexually harassed or assaulted, because I know the tribulation they will surely face. I will fight for women's reproductive rights in every capacity of the term, because I know what it feels like to feel uneducated or ill-equipped. I will allow anyone to express their sexuality and gender however they desire and support the decisions that they make. I will never shame anyone for the way the look or participate through the enforcement of body shaming on or offline.

And most of all, I promise to stay true to these values and beliefs and never allow anyone to tell me otherwise. I will listen to my heart and indulge in radical self-love and care. I will project the love I have for myself onto everyone I meet, because I know how hard it is to be human. I know the desire to love and be loved.

What feminist values are most important to you?