Just like racism, you would assume that things like sexism don't exist in today's society. I really wish that were true but it's rampant, especially in the south. I grew up in a rural area and every woman I knew was subject to sexism. It's not the 1950s, guys, it's time to stop.

When I was younger I often heard phrases like, "that's a woman's job" when referring to housework and even cooking. My brother used to not do his own laundry because he believed that my mom and I were supposed to do it. Women "belonged in the kitchen" and shouldn't be out of term or do things not meant for them. It was a real problem because I was a tom boy. I ran barefoot and climbed trees and played in dirt. My favorite color wasn't pink. I mansplained before that was even a term. While other girls wore skirts and dresses to school I wore jeans all year round. As a child I never saw anything wrong with this. When I'd be told to "cross my legs" or "why don't you wear something girly?" I was confused.

I didn't understand that I didn't fit a man's expectations of a girl.

There was a lot of sexist issues in my mom's marriage as well. My stepdad thought that he was obviously superior because he was a man. He believed that what he said was law. It gave my mom very little room to be a parent to her own kids. As I got older, I realized that he was just as ordinary as anyone else. I began speaking my mind and taking up for myself. It was expected of women to be seen and not heard most of the time so this was revolutionary.

When I was a young teenager I began having to deal with being told what to wear and how to act so I didn't seem "loose." I couldn't wear shorts or spaghetti straps in public. Anything that really showed my body shape or fit my body tightly was off limits, according to my stepdad. I fought this often. I wanted to be comfortable with my body. Women already have a hard time doing that as it is.

I was almost raped at 16 and when I said something, one of my family members said, "well you were wearing a low cut top."

This unfortunately came from a woman. A woman blamed ME for being almost raped. That's the way sexism has intertwined into woman's minds. Women begin bashing other women for things that men say are bad. If you're comfortable with your sexuality, you're a whore. You're looked at as a threat if you do a man's job, even though you'll be paid much less. You're gross if you have similar mannerisms as men, like burping or saying crude things. Women shouldn't be like men but should respect them and view them as more at the same time.

I know not all men are like this. Some men really do respect women and view them as their equals. I also do believe that sexism can be eliminated. Right now, though, with "grab 'em by the p***y" and feminists being viewed as men-hating nutjobs, change looks very far away.