This word is often thrown around, and around, and around even more. Unfortunately, some people take the term too seriously, while others take the word as a joke. When I ask women what it is to be feminist, I sometimes leave the conversation with more questions than when I entered. So, I consulted the internet. Of course, sources like Tumblr, blogs, and Facebook can often twist words and meanings like no one's business.

So, I looked it up on Webster , and I found this. I then realized I, as a regular dude, am also a feminist. A lot of guys think that feminism, in its often convoluted way, is a term that is anti-male, and don’t believe themselves to be feminists. I don’t blame them. Many people would argue that what they see as a feminist is some protester at a pro-life rally, screaming that rape-culture is a fault of all men’s foul desires. My only desire in life right now is to pass my classes, honestly. Often, the media portrays feminism in a negative light, which is very unfortunate due to the fact that extreme feminists make regular feminists, like me, look bad. Too often, we see bickering sides of logic between how men and women are treated differently. For example, the Meninist account on Twitter and Facebook bashes on “third-wave” feminism and often times feminists bash their own rants on other public sites like Tumblr and on Facebook. For me, that seems like a very irrelevant thing to do. By bashing each other's convoluted beliefs, you not only add fuel to an already heated debate, but you leave others, like myself, scratching their heads and asking themselves where do my alliances stand. Where do I stand?

I stand with equality. No, I’m not a creep for holding the door for you, and I do understand you are capable of opening the door for yourself, but I am simply doing it to be polite. I do have a feminist sticker on my water bottle because I do believe in equality for all genders, and no, I do not think with my “manly” parts. I am a perfectly rational human being that thinks things should be taken in a rational procedure. No, I do not think women should make less than men, and yes, women are capable of being good leaders just like men; trust me, both moms and dads do it all the time. Yes, there are still a lot of flaws in society that should be fixed with how gender and sexual orientation and other things are perceived, but they won’t be solved by hurling verbal insults at each other over social media or at rallies, but by making effective and well-planned coalitions that allow both sides to reach not just an agreement on terms and conditions, but actual progress. Like with everything, change doesn’t start by just shouting and hissing at one another, but by settling differences and being rational.

So, I am proud to say I am a feminist. Why? Because I believe in the equality of both men and women. As a guy who wants equality, I do my part every day to be impartial and equal, without passing judgement or being blatantly open about other beliefs. I do my part whenever I can to promote equality and be an advocate for social justice. That’s just how it is, and that’s just how it should be.