If believing in equal rights for everyone, equal wages for the same job across the board, marriage equality for all, and believing that woman, well, men too, should never be raped makes me a feminist, then I guess I am a feminist. But personally, I think that’s bullshit.

The fact that the above has to be classified as a ‘movement’, or a ‘thing,’ or an ‘ism’ of any kind is just out right wrong. What is wrong with society where marriage equality, and equal pay is not the norm? What’s wrong with society, that every time I go for a walk at night, I have in the back of my mind an escape route planned in case someone attacks me? Is common decency actually not so common? What’s that all about?

I’m tired of being labelled a feminist, a bra burner. It feels negative. Like wanting to be equal is something that is dirty and not right. But the truth of the matter is that right now, in the world we live in now, wanting these things makes you an ‘ist,’ believing in an ‘ism.’ I am aware that there are differences between men and woman, and these differences are to be celebrated, but those are the uncontrollable differences, the biological differences that makes our human race great. However, because we have differences, that doesn’t make us any less equal. It makes us different but equal. It’s like we’re all pieces of a giant puzzle, and the puzzle is not complete if a piece is missing. Each piece of the picture is as important as the last to make the image total. To make it complete. And that is how we all are. Men and women who are straight, LGBTQ and of all races, we are all different, but we are equally different.

What’s wrong with wanting people to have the same blessings as another? What’s wrong with wanting the best for others? The best for society. Nothing. It’s what we all should want. We all should stand behind each other and build each other up. It’s our duty to make this world better for the next generation. And, if that means that I have to have a borderline offensive title until the world finally accepts that every man, woman, and/or other are equal, then I’ll take it. It’s bullshit. But I’ll take it.

I strongly believe that if your religion, faith, or beliefs are standing in the way from doing the decent and kind thing, then maybe it’s time to reassess, and reevaluate your ideals. What I hope, is that when I have children, and when they start to ask questions about the world, and they ask me ‘what’s a feminist’ I’ll tell them that it was a person who fought for equal rights for all. And they will respond, ‘that’s weird that you had to fight for that,’ and I say ‘that’s correct.’ And I’ll smile.

I am Jen Talks Too Much, and for now I am a feminist. I hope though, that I won’t always have to be. Because, it’d be wonderful to see a world that has evolved into greatness. And at that point, I will just be a person. A common person.