Some think that a feminist has to look one way, and if they don't, well, they're not a true feminist. They are supposed to completely reject any feminine norms.
They don't wear makeup, they cut their hair short, and god forbid a feminist that is seen wearing a dress.
These are just some issues that revolve around the "ideals" of the feminist movement. By doing this, you are simply taking women out of the original box they were placed in and putting them in a new one.
If you're not a traditionally feminine woman then you have to be a feminist, and you cannot be both.
This simply isn't true, and it is reductive to the movement and women in general.
As someone who identifies with the feminist movement, I almost feel embarrassed if I ever tell people I want kids. It's as if, to be in the feminist club, I have to make the ultimate sacrifice and swear an oath to never procreate.
But what is feminism actually? It's empowered women empowering women. It's recognizing that women can do whatever they want without the pressure of society telling them it's wrong.
It's choosing not to shave because you don't have to. But it's also deciding to shave because you want to.
It's rejecting the pressure to marry because all women must be domestic. But it's also marrying in your early 20's because it feels right.
It's laughing in the face of anyone who expects you to want children just because you're a woman. But it's also wanting to have a huge family because that has always been your dream.
A feminist looks like a bad-ass Rosie the Riveter -type. A feminist also looks like a pregnant woman who chooses to stay home and enjoys keeping the house clean.
Because the whole point of being a feminist is having the choice to be whatever kind of woman we want. And it's also allowing and respecting others to make that choice too, even if it looks different from ours.
