February Blog Post

"Being a female soldier is reveling in a different world where merit matters and you can become a leader" -Dr. Hicks

I like this quote, because it's very supportive of the feminist movement. With everything that has been going on today, it's always really cool to see quotes or articles that are supportive of women like this one is. History has made it very difficult for women to leave our footprints. The founding "fathers" of our country, were obviously men. Women's rights weren't established until very late in American history. Women were suppressed for years and although we have fought for equal rights to men, the fight is still very real right this minute.

I personally could not be more thankful that I was born in the era that I was. As a 22 year old woman, I'm so incredibly grateful for the rights that I have in this day and age, but the fight is no where near over. Privilege is something that is still very real, and some people are still extremely unaware of it. I am white, and I know for a fact that up until just recently I didn't even realize the privilege that I had. My older sister is half white and half black, and her experience growing up was a lot different than mine. My mothers' parents who are from South Dakota and who are now about 75 years old were PISSED that my mom eloped with a black man and had a mixed daughter. My sister has told me stories about how when she went to visit them as a young child that she would get weird looks in grocery stores and people have actually called her a "nigger". It blows my mind apart to think that people would that that about my beautiful, smart, and intelligent sister that only has good to give to others.

My grandparents have come a long way, and my sister now has children of her own that they actually quite adore, and they are as black as can be considering my sister married a black man. My story is a little different than my sisters', and although I am a 'privileged' white woman, I have been gay ever since I can remember putting thoughts together. When people ask me when I 'knew' that I was gay, I always say at the age of 3. I have always known. I can remember not understanding why I couldn't like my friend Mary in preschool like Jacob and Isabelle liked each other. It DIDN'T make sense to me. I knew that I could be just as nice to Mary as Jacob was to Izzy. It was mind boggling. Middle school was hell and I hated it. I was so depressed and was to the point where I would rather die than admit to my friends and family I had feelings for women. I always knew though, then I finally met this girl named Chelsey and wow I loved her. She loved me too and we were together from literally 7th grade to my freshman year of college. We no longer talk anymore, but she was the one that truly pushed me to be who I am today. I am lucky with my family, and I think they liked me more when I told them I was gay. I'm pretty sure I could tell them that I have a weird disorder where I love furniture and they would still love me. I am one of the lucky ones, but even with a supportive family it wasn't easy. I felt vulnerable. I felt like I would lose my friends, then it turned out that most of my friends were gay too! A HUGE AMOUNT OF THEM. HAHAHAHAHAH Makes me laugh. I mean all in all I was a college softball player, if we're being humorous.

To tie this together, without feminism and the fight for women's rights, I wouldn't be where I am today and living the life that I live. So, thank you so much to all of the leaders out there that have made a difference!!