I Am a Feminist

I am a feminist.

I am a feminist because my heart races when I’m walking down a quiet street and my throat closes up when I’m alone with a man in an elevator.

I am a feminist because the public space is not a shared space. It’s a stage that I didn’t ask to be on. Men leer at me like I’m on display, and women shake their heads in disapproval and disgrace. Their eyes choke me on my own air.

I am a feminist because of the times I’ve been hyper-sexualized as an "exotic, submissive Asian."  Let's be clear, I am neither.

I am a feminist because I am so afraid of the day my baby nieces and nephews lose their big hopeful smiles and eyes glazed with wonder when their gender starts to limit the passions they pursue.

I am a feminist because the amount of skin a woman bares is directly related to the amount of sex she is having.

I am a feminist because the amount of sex a woman is having is directly related to her class, her integrity, her propriety.

I am a feminist because it pains me to see my male friends bottle their emotions for the fear of sounding “weak” (which is quite ironic since being open and vulnerable takes massive strength).

I am a feminist because my mother has to worry about her appearance at work rather than doing her job because she’s “sloppy” without permed hair and “lazy” without makeup. Yet, she is the most hardworking person I know.

I am a feminist because I understand that males and females have innate biological differences that cannot be equated, but those differences should be valued just the same.

I am a feminist because we chastise those who deviate from their socially constructed gender roles instead of celebrating them for being true to themselves, however they are.

I am a feminist because some will consider this just another angry woman complaining.

I am a feminist because I stand in solidarity with women around the world who suffer far greater pains than me, who fight for simple freedoms I am privileged to have.

I am a feminist because I don’t care that feminism is falsely associated with manhating, female superiority, or any other falsehoods that stem from misinformation and the few that spoil the bunch. What I do care about is the growing amount of intersectional feminists, both women and men, who strive to fight for gender equality despite all these claims. Keep on keepin’ on, ya nasty ones.