If I am a feminist, then I must hate men. I probably get offended every time a man says something even remotely sexual to me. Maybe I don’t shave. I am more likely to be pro-choice and probably think I am better than a man. Also, I am a radical extremist who boycotts the use of bras and the objectification of women. And my favorite one, I am a victim of oppression and I don’t believe in marriage.

Those are some examples of the associations given to the word “feminist."

Feminism has had a lot of negativity surrounding it for a long time. But some people do not understand the actual definition and tend to think feminists are the types of women I described earlier. Because of this, there are so many misconceptions that need to be acknowledged about feminism.

Feminism is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. Yet, only 18 percent of Americans consider themselves feminists, according to a Vox poll, while 85 percent say they believe in the equality for women. Well feminism, by definition, is the meant to be the equality of men and women and not the superiority of one.

Some people believe that feminism means you have to hate men, which is absolutely not true. The fact that some people actually believe that is ridiculous. Yes, there are women who hate men, as well as men who hate women. But, those individuals are not feminists. Those people are misandrists and misogynists. Misandrists are women who hate men and misogynists are men who hate women. Labels suck, though, don’t they? This could be a reason why so many people do not want to be identified as feminists, but it shouldn’t be a dirty word.

There is a movement called “Women Against Feminism” and on its website you’ll find photos of young women holding up signs that say why they are against feminism. Here are a few examples of what their signs read:

“I don’t need feminism because I believe in equality not entitlements and supremacy," read one sign.

Another one read, “I don’t need feminism because I love men. All of my friends are men, they’re way nicer and less dramatic than most women, especially feminists.”

“I don’t need feminism because I cannot ignore biology," read another one.

These signs are absurd. Again, the definition of feminism is the equality of men and women. Not the supremacy of women and hatred of men. Those signs do serve as great examples of the misconception of feminism.

Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist and author of “What’s Wrong with ‘Equal Rights’ for Women?” is famous for criticizing the Women’s Rights Movement.

“Women’s lib is a total assault on the role of the American woman as wife and mother, and on the family as the basic unit of society,” said Schlafly.

That is also not true. Granted, there were plenty of women back in the '70s, as well as today, who identify as feminists and are extreme in their beliefs, but that is not an accurate representation of a majority of feminists.

You can’t assume that everyone who belongs to a certain group share the same exact beliefs, although this is true for any group of people. It is also true that with groups of people, there are extremists which are not an actual representation of that particular group as a whole and only share a specific view.

To rebut Schlafly's argument, there are plenty of women who aspire to have children and be housewives, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. To assume that all feminists are against having a family is simply ignorant. You can be a feminist and condemn other women for wanting to be a housewife or stay-at-home mom; you can be a feminist and work as a firefighter or work as a model. There are no boundaries.

Beyonce, for example, has received criticism for not being a “real feminist” since she is considered a sex symbol by many. So, feminists can’t be sexy? Maybe more people agree with Schlafly that feminists are “straggly-haired women with sharp tongues and high-pitched whiney complaints …”

In an interview with ELLE Magazine, a fashion magazine, Beyonce said she does not understand the negative connotation of the word and that men should not be excluded.

“If you are a man who believes your daughter should have the same opportunities and rights as your son, then you’re a feminist. We need men and women to understand the double standards that still exist in this world, and we need to have a real conversation so we can begin to make changes,” she said.

There are too many double standards in society. Sure we have progressed over time, but there is still much work to be done. The fact that when I am assertive, I get called a bitch while my male counterparts can act the same as me and not get called out on it, is an issue for me.

The fact that it is socially acceptable for men to sleep around but when a woman does it, she is labeled a slut and shamed until the end of time is an issue. The rape culture we have on so many college campuses is absurd. We need to treat every human being with the same amount of respect.

I used to hate the word feminist and if I was asked two years ago if I was one, I would laugh and say “No, I’m not a fanatic woman who thinks I am better than men.”

I also was misinformed and did not know any better. But if you believe in equal rights, that is at the heart of what feminism is.