"We all move forward when
we recognize how resilient
and striking the women
around us are."
-Rupi Kaur

Just a short week ago, the United States was lead by an administration striving to break ceilings relentlessly, challenging age-old phobic trends in our country, and working to create a more diverse, inclusive nation brought together by our differences- not divided. Today, our current administration is hoping to patch up those broken ceilings and bring us back down to the first floor- the basement even. If there were ever a time when we need feminism, it is now.

Rush Limbaugh calls us "Feminazis." Clearly this comes from some deep-seated anger towards the feminist movement, and this makes me wonder not about how to change his mind, but what does he really find so radical about the pursuit of equality?

This past weekend, hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children marched in reaction to the inauguration of a man who believes that he can call women, "bimbos," "fat," "ugly," and "pieces of ass." People marched to draw attention to the freedom and respect that we fear will be lost with this presidency and to make clear that we will not sit idly by as our rights and values are brought up for deliberation.

In response to these completely peaceful marches, some critics (like Tomi Lahren) claimed that this empowering demonstration was simply women playing "the woman card," and an outlet for people to aimlessly complain.

Let's set the record straight. Feminism is not about whining, nor should it be a dirty word that dare not be uttered in our contemporary political system. Feminism is not a movement in which men are placed below women, and it is not an outlet for an "all guys suck," agenda. Feminism is not about denying the presence of other societal issues that we face every day, and feminism is not about treating men badly as some form of retribution.

Feminism is about leveling the playing field. It is about women having the fundamental human right to make their own personal medical decisions regarding their own bodies. It is about being able to do so without the interference of a government run by old, white guys. Feminism is about letting women walk into an office full of men knowing that she is there for her skills and not her body. Feminism is establishing that I will not be anybody's "honey" or "sweetie" in the workplace, and is about fighting to close the 20% pay gap. It's about letting girls know that we too can be smart, strong, and powerful. It is about making sure that women of color and LGBT women have the same opportunities as caucasian women and that all of those groups have the same opportunities as men. Feminism is about equality.

Get your facts straight. The very fact that I need to clarify the common misconception that women speaking up is not an attack at men just goes to show how historically unwelcome and unheard our voices are.

The marches that took place this weekend were beautiful- a coming together of people everywhere, peacefully standing in solidarity for women's rights. The inauguration of Donald Trump does not have to mean that misogyny, sexism, racism, or xenophobia will have a place in our country, and we will continue to voice that.