In the late 90's, Time Magazine asked the question, "is feminism dead?". It seemed that even those who were fighting for equal rights among genders did not want to be called feminists; the word took on negative light because the general public confused it with extremism and dramatized images of anarchy and the hatred of men. A movement that originated as a campaign for equality became associated with a battle of the sexes.

Flash forward to almost twenty years later and you'll see a complete 180; it's 2016 and the words feminism and feminist are more embraced than they have been in long time. Pop culture has had a major hand in this movement, with artists and public figures advocating for the cause in ways that have never been seen before. 

This revival in the movement is IMPORTANT. Conversations and debates around this topic need to happen, however it seems as though we are still confused on what it really  means to be a feminist. I quoted the textbook definition of feminism at the header for this very reason; feminism, in it's original intent, is a movement fighting for equality between genders. That's it guys. Equality. This does not mean women should hate men, it doesn't mean we should attack each other for not sharing the same ideals, it just means we should all be treated equally.

Before typing this up I asked the opinions of those on both sides of the fence with this. I got a mix of answers both extreme and neutral. It pretty much sums up into two major opinions:

• Women are taking it too far: Some of those I spoke with have traditional family and gender role values (nothing wrong with that, btw). They expressed to me that they feel as though the modern day feminist movement is destroying these values. Public figures like Amber Rose are on a mission to normalize over-sexual behaviors, and their followers are in turn bashing more "conservative" women who don't share in this mission. While they are all for fair treatment, they do feel as though some roles and values should remain traditional and sacred.
• We can do whatever the hell we want so get out of our way: On the opposite end, I spoke with those who feel that the current movement is exactly what we need. Women are sexual beings just as men are, and if we want to flaunt it then society should embrace it. Give us equal pay and let us do any and everything men can do. If we want to go out wearing something that makes us feel sexy, then that's nobody else's business but ours. 

And lastly, there's the opinion of little old me (which was also shared by some that I spoke with). Before I say anything, I want to mention that both of the previously mentioned ideas have valid points in my eyes. I'm definitely more of a neutral person.

I feel that the idea of feminism needs to be redirected to it's roots. Women should be viewed as equals in society. For me this encompasses economics, politics, social rights, sexuality....pretty much all basic human rights. Men and women are different. We can't argue that. But men are not BETTER than women, the same way that women are not better than men. A person is a person, bottom line. 

I do feel that this confusion on what it means to be a feminist is hurting the movement more than anything. When Amber Rose, for example, is running around fighting for her right to be a sexual being, I get her. However, by ONLY choosing to advocate for sexual rights and ignoring all of the other qualities that make women great (intellect, talent, etc.), she seems to be using the movement for her own personal gain and not the empowerment of ALL women. We can't ignore all of the wonderful qualities that make us powerful. Yes, we are sexual beings, but that is absolutely NOT all that we are or should strive to be.

This creates a divide between us that is dangerous. All of a sudden, you're either "Kim K" or "Ayesha Curry". There is not an between. Women begin to bash each other's lifestyles while only supporting what their personal beliefs agree with.  PSA: that completely defeats the purpose! Men are looking at us like indecisive crybabies who don't know what we want when we behave this way. 

I know I've rambled on here, but bottom line, we need to fight for equality. We all have different ideas of how to live, but the main purpose of feminism is that we should all be treated the same. If you want someone to respect your way of living, you need to be able to respect theirs. We can be whoever we want to be whenever we want to. As long as you're true and genuine to yourself, (AKA stop doing things soley for the attention of men) that is what should matter.