I am a feminist and...
My name is Naina and I am a feminist.
I am a feminist and I want a world where the word 'feminist' has no meaning.
I want a world where I can be free to be girly, boyish or neutral. I do not want to be constrained by narrow stereotypes, for I am a person and not a paper depiction of a woman. I want to be free to unite different cultures in my personality and embrace what I feel it means to be a woman. I want to be loving and emotional, without being told to "man up". I want to be tough and strong, in mind, body, heart and soul, without being told that I'm not a boy.
I want a world where I am free to screw up and not feel that I am bringing shame to my gender. I want a world where I am judged fairly on my own merits.
I want a world where I am different from my brother because I am an individual and not because I am a girl.
I want a world where we can all hug and love each other without slurs. I want a world where men are free to cry and kiss as women are expected to.
I want a world where people look at my heart before they look at my face. I want a world where all my face expresses is good-will and laughter.
I want a world where I can look at myself and think, "This is who I want to be." and not "Have I put on more weight?"
I want a world where women do not spend hours in front of the mirror agonising about that one pimple or those wrinkles. I want a world where wrinkles are a beautiful sign of wisdom and not a blemish.
I want a world where I can go drinking in the evening, have dinner with my friends of both genders, party past midnight, walk in the park in the white hours of the morning. I want a world where I am not told to stay home "like a good girl".
I want a world where the word 'woman' is not synonymous with 'weak'.
I want a world where athletic women can train in the gym without being treated like eye candy for male weightlifters. I want a world where a woman can be muscular without being "unfeminine".
I want a world where victims of violence are listened to, regardless of their gender. I want a world where both abusive men and women are punished and the innocent may live in peace.
I want a world where people stand up against harassment and discrimination. I want a world where I can take a bus without being groped, whistled at and insulted.
I want a world where being equal to all is not progressive. I want a world where gender, race, orientation, religion are as immaterial as your favourite colour. I want a world where being an equalist simply means being human.
I want a world where we can live as one.
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