My First Glimpse at Feminism

My mother has always identified as a feminist. Growing up she always talked to me about feminist issues, what it means to be a woman, and the prejudices I might encounter as a woman. I’ve always thought of myself as a feminist but I’ve been through many different stages of feminism and womanhood throughout the years for various reasons. However, through all my experiences and stages I have continued to grow in my passion for equality for not just women but all people.

The first time I ever became aware of the fight for equality I was 12 and in the sixth grade. My best friend, Lucille, and I were on our way to dance lessons with my mother. I really didn’t feel like going to dance that day because Lucille and I wanted to go to the skating rink with our friends. I had just started my period and decided to use my menstrual cramping and other period related symptoms as an excuse to get out of dance. I had never seen my mother so appalled before. She said that I should never use my period as a way to limit my ability to counting life as normal because that was an excuse politicians used to try and keep women out of politics. She counted to explain to me how for generations men tried to keep women in the home and limit their every right and one reason they often used was that women have periods and the symptoms resulting for menstrual cycles. 

I was stunned. I felt embarrassed and ashamed and angrier than I had ever felt in my entire life up to that point. I remember steaming about it all through dance that night. I couldn’t believe that a group of human beings would or could put another group of humans down for virtually no real reason and that I was in that group of people being put down. That day started my journey of fighting for women’s rights and equal treatment of all humans.