Recently there have been strong feminism movements. From the Washington D.C. Women's March to the Women's March here in Ypsilanti, if there are women, there is bound to be peaceful protests and demands for equal rights. Now let me start off by saying that yes, I am a feminist. I also recently supported two men in their run for my school's Student Government Presidential Campaign as one of their campaign managers. Running against them was an all female ticket. Throughout the campaign, people would come up to me and tell me that I was not a "real feminist" if I did not support the all female ticket. They would accuse me of setting a bad example to other women if I "served" under men.

Before I go into what feminism really means, let me make one thing clear. I supported my candidates because I agreed with their policies more than the other team. Regardless if it is a school election or a national election, vote for the candidate because you agree with their policies, not because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. To mean, being a feminist means standing up for equal rights. You can support women without tearing men down. With that being said,

You can sleep with as many guys as you want and still be a feminist.

You can never sleep with anyone and still be a feminist.

You can get a 9 to 5 job and still be a feminist.

You can be a stay at home mom and still be a feminist.

You can wear black and gray and still be a feminist.

You can wear hot pink and still be a feminist.

You can identify as a female, male, or neither and still be a feminist.

You can support an all female ticket and still be a feminist.

You can support an all male ticket and still be a feminist.

Am I starting to make a point here? Feminism is for everyone. You can go and work a 9 to 5 job, or you can decide to be a housewife. There are no wrong choices. Feminism means standing up for equal rights, but remember that you can stand up for what is right without pulling anyone else down. As for me, I'm glad I supported an all male ticket. And I'm glad I'm a feminist.