By this time, you have probably heard or seen something along the lines of "Instead of blue or pink, why don't you make it a dollar for a boy and 78 cents for a girl." While that has the capability to make people laugh, it's a true statement that makes a mockery over the way we view gender.

Feminism, especially in the so called "millennial" generation has a somewhat mixed connotation. Simply put, you are either in or out. At its core, feminism is far from the "women are better than men" concept that society associates it with. At the beginning, it was simply something that women wanted for suffrage, equal pay, and the ability to treat her body the way that she wanted to. It is a fact that we are trying to coexist in a society of people who do not see simple things like that.

I love the feminist movement from the 60s. Studying it was what really prompted my self discovery to become a feminist. This part of feminism that extends to today is known as the "second wave." In is in that wave that feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem made her national debut. To this day, she is one of my personal role models because she basically said "screw the haters" and stood for things she was passionate for. That second wave of feminism was also when the controversial Roe vs Wade case took on the Supreme Court. I am feminist because I think that women should have the right to do whatever they want to do with their bodies without government interference.

To me, feminism is so much more than the history of its roots. I truly believe that feminism is a necessary tool for society today. My foremothers died for things that we take advantage of in this day and age. Simple things, like voting in a local election, they fought for. It is because of that fighting that I do basic things today.

This 2016 presidential election has given women reasons to dream. Now, I do not personally condone Trump's "grab 'em by the p---y" comment, but for some women, he has inspired them. For me, however, my feminist boost has come from Hillary Clinton. On multiple occasions, Hillary has worn white to her campaign functions, or more notably the Democratic National Convention. The significance? White was what Suffragettes wore to march for suffrage. Long before there was a Hillary, they marched to give women a voice.

With all of that being said, you may wonder, "why are you a feminist?" Well, to me the answer is simple. Being a feminist means that I stand for basic human rights for everyone, not just women. The thing about it is, 2016 has been a year to transform the world. Why does that have to stop now? All of us are in this thing called life. We have to let our impact extend beyond the boundaries of gender.