Now before anyone accuses me of being a crazy, man-hating feminist, hear me out. I don't hate men, and this is not specifically directed at just them. Women sometimes use this insult as well, and identifying with some feminist ideals does not automatically make me a “man hater.”

I am so tired of hearing the word “girl” used as an insult. When you tell someone “stop being such a girl,” you are saying that it is bad to be a girl.

When a man cries, he gets called a “girl,” because crying is apparently a sign of weakness, and being weak is apparently what defines a girl.

I don't understand this. Why is it that it is so normal for one to label women in this way? I hear it daily. Am I personally offended? Not entirely. I am a girl, so I'm most definitely not ashamed of being called one. But I am especially sick of my gender being labeled as a something we're not through such insults.

Why is it okay to look down on women, as if being one is such a bad thing? Why is it that being called a “girl,” is one of the biggest insults to some people? Why is it that those same people that think being called a “girl” is extremely insulting, don't see the harm inflicted on women in the insult itself? Why is it that people get more offended at being called a “girl,” than the fact that people are using the word “girl” to mean something insulting?

When you say “you throw like a girl” or do anything “like a girl,” you are meaning it in a negative way. Think about it. Anytime you say these things, you are dehumanizing your sister, mother, and the whole female population.

Would you say “you throw like a boy” negatively? No. That seems unreal and in a sense, stupid, right? But when roles are reversed, suddenly it's okay? I can tell you right now, there are unathletic boys just as there are unathletic girls. So why label girls in this way?

Maybe it's out of habit. Maybe it's not seen as wrong. Maybe some believe it's the truth. Or maybe some don't even realize that what they're saying is insulting women, rather than just the person they're attempting to insult. But whatever the case may be, people need to realize that what they are saying is wrong and that “girl” does not mean weak. So stop indirectly stating that it does.

A girl is whatever a girl wants to be, not the stereotypes people tend to perceive them as. Everyone is different, stop putting each and every one of us into the “weak” category.

I am a girl; I am strong and proud. And I am fed up with people's bullshit.

Enough with the demeaning labels.