Dear Best Friend (and other skeptics)

You are a feminist. As much as you try to hide it, deny it, or fight against it...you are definitely a feminist. You may be someone who thinks that all feminists are angry, man-hating, ball-breaking, bra-burning, flannel-wearing, granola-eating, idealist complaining lesbians. Well you're wrong. Sure there are some feminists that any number of things I listed, but not all, not that any of those things are all that bad.

You want to meet a different kind of feminist, look in the mirror.

Don't believe me, here's a checklist for you:

You think all people should be given equal rights
You think racism is wrong
You think women should have the right to make their own decisions
You love the gays (like lady gaga loves the gays)
You love lady gaga
You think all people have the right to vote
You think the government is in need of a serious overhaul so that it actually works
You think birth control is awesome
You think condoms are super useful
You believe women have the right to freedom of speech too
You don't want to be stuck doing all of the cleaning, cooking, and child rearing
You know that women have the right to say no to sex
You like wearing pants every once in a while
You are upset when women starve themselves to fit an unrealistic standard of thin
You get pissed when people assume you can't drive just because you have a vagina
You have a vagina!
You think women should be able to choose to wait or not wait for marriage to have sex
You enjoy sex (and you're not afraid to tell people that)
You think women can be great chefs, doctors, or fashion designers...especially considering traditionally in the home women did the cooking, the bandaging, and the sewing!
You think women should have the choice to wear pink or blue (or rainbow)
You think a woman should be president one day
You think people should never go through domestic violence
You don't enjoy being stereotyped because of your appearance, religion, class, race, ethnicity, age, ability...etc.
If you believe in equality of the sexes instead of one above the others
cough...(your name is Jenn)...cough
You are a feminist if you believe everyone has the right to make their own choices!

Wear flannel or an apron...Wear a pink dress or blue jeans...identify as a feminist or continue to claim you could never be one of "those bitches"...

But you can bet your bottom dollar you owe all of these choices, these choices that seem like no-brainers today, to the work of some feminist from the past. So at the very least, say thanks!