A feminist is most likely a woman, probably a lesbian, who hates men and believes in ultimate female superiority. These beings are typically loud, screeching individuals who burn bras and stomp on the patriarchy like some grass on fire.

Relax, this is not the true definition of a feminist nor reflective of anything close to what I believe. Unfortunately, a fair amount of misinformed individuals believe that this statement is a somewhat accurate description of feminism. To prevent any confusion, allow me to establish the correct definition of a feminist.

A feminist is simply a person who cares about women and equality between men and women. Feminists are not necessarily lesbians. They can even be men. Imagine, a male feminist! No, male feminists are not all gay. I am a heterosexual male who avidly identifies himself as a feminist.

I remember being in high school and hearing about the feminist movement. I pictured the first definition I mentioned and was horrified by the concept of it. I even remember one of my teachers telling me I would make a good feminist due to my beliefs in equality. Of course, my sixteen-year-old self was offended due to my misunderstanding of the subject. To be associated with such crazy women was terrible to think about.

In truth, I did not realize I fit the bill of a feminist until freshmen year in college when I did a profile on a public speaker that visited my campus. His name was Don McPherson, a former Syracuse University quarterback, a runner-up in the 1987 Heisman Trophy voting, and a former member of the Philadelphia Eagles. McPherson is a true picture of masculinity in every sense of the word, but he is also an outspoken feminist and advocate for women’s rights.

I am not going to lie - it was a confusing image. A huge mountain-of-a-man speaking about how all men should hold themselves accountable for the way we treat women. However, this guy, out of anyone else, was able to make feminism clear to me by one simple analogy:

“An environmentalist cares about the environment and believes we should do more for the environment. An economist cares about the economy and believes we should do more for the economy. I am a feminist and I care about women and I believe we should do more for women.”

To McPherson, myself, and all other feminists, “more” is getting equal pay for men and women, stopping sexual assault and domestic violence, and ending the stigma that men should be masculine, strong, tough, and assertive. Additionally, I am angered at the crooked gender norms society inflicts upon us and the unequal representation of women in society.

As a man, I am used to being bombarded by societal gender roles that teach my kind not to show our feminine sides. You hit like a girl. Did you cry? You are a wuss. You actually like rom-coms? You listen to Lady Gaga? Man up. These phrases are meant to degrade men into thinking they are not good enough, but they also attack women by implying that being a woman, or possessing any traits that resemble femininity, is an inherently bad thing.

Instead of embracing our feminine sides, society tells men to embrace their masculine traits and turn their attention toward the physical aspects of women. Unfortunately for women, the media and advertising agencies have picked up on this. Sexual, objectifying images of women become the main selling point, and the trends are not becoming more progressive.

Think about the last magazine advertisement you have viewed that featured a woman as one of the centric elements of the ad. If it has been a while, do a quick Google search. Most likely, this woman was near-naked and posed in some sort of a vulnerable stance or position. Any words on the advertisement most likely accented the woman’s vulnerability, sexiness, beauty, perfection, and/or body parts.

What are advertisements made this way? Here is a simple answer: encourage or motivate me, a heterosexual male, to buy something. We men are the sole purpose millions of women are objectified in the media. By media, I am not just referring to advertisements. I am talking about movies, music, music videos, television shows, news broadcasts, radio shows, magazine articles, and any other mass medium that could possibly communicate the image of a sexy woman to a male viewer, reader, or listener. These images are EVERYWHERE.

Now, a constant question for female models out there is their purpose behind what they do. Why do they model if such pictures are meant to objectify them? The answer is money. I am not saying that all models are gold-diggers who will happily show off their cans to make a living. Instead, money is the poison of the modeling industry that keeps models motivated and less apt to quit.

Some might still ask why women become models. The answer can be traced back yet again to gender roles. Girls are pressured from the time they get their first Barbie doll to be absolutely perfect and flawless. Of course, not all girls grow to fit the beauty standards that society has drawn out for them. Those girls are called ugly and encouraged to wear makeup, exercise, eat less, etcetera. The ones that do meet the bottom-line beauty standards are gratified for their beauty, and the really beautiful ones are encouraged to model.

Money, positive attention, peer support, and fame are probably all strong factors that keep models in the business. Wanting all this is not a bad thing either. Who doesn’t want to be beautiful, rich, and famous? These are all things that make the sexual objectification somewhat worth it.

Advertising and modeling agencies have to make sure that their female models are happy to ensure their male demographic is reached. In the end, profits are all that really matter. Models get all of these positive perks to hide the fact that they have lost control of their bodies, choices, and overall respect for who they are as people.

Of course, there are male models as well that are objectified in the media, but the manner that men are depicted in media is much different. Men are usually shown in strong, powerful poses and stances. Sometimes, they are shown with women in a way that their dominance is clearly illustrated. In the end, they are shown as still having some power, while women are ultimately shown as powerless objects that are meant to serve the purposes of male pleasure.

All of this sickens me. Bottom line, I believe that women are equal to men and deserve the same respect that men receive. Women deserve to be paid the same as men for the same work. Women deserve to make choices about their bodies. Women deserve to be depicted and represented in the media in the way that they wish. Women deserve to be treated as individuals and not sexual objects. If you agree with how I feel, congratulations! You are a feminist!

To my male readers, it is absolutely okay to be a feminist. People will most likely misunderstand you, hate you, or even insult you. You may be criticized for having a feminine side and you might get called names. Ultimately, remember that what everyone else believes does not matter. If your feminist ideals matter a great deal to you, the fight for gender equality in society needs you. It needs men. If we want to change how women are treated in society, and ensure that women receive what they deserve as human beings, men need to start making changes. Men need to start speaking out.

The world needs male feminists.