I am a feminist. There, I said it. It’s on paper for everyone to see. I feel like I’m confessing a major sin because feminism is so often perceived as this extremist anti-male movement that preaches castration and other forms of male subordination.

But that version of feminism is not an accurate representation of what feminism is. Obviously, a radical sect of any movement is going to be, well, radical, but the majority of feminists, some of them men, are simply striving for equality. In fact, according to Merriam-Webster, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.

The opponents of feminism misrepresent it in order to scare people who would otherwise support the cause, and it’s kind of working. According to a 2013 HuffPost/YouGov poll, only one-fifth of Americans identify as feminists, which is weird because from the same poll reported that 82 percent believe men and women should have equality. How can it be that only 20 percent of people say they are feminist when a vast majority support the basic premise of feminism?

This strange phenomenon is also evident in Hollywood. Several young starlets, when asked about their affiliation with feminism, seem to be similarly confused about what feminism actually is. Shailene Woodley explained she doesn’t consider herself a feminist because “the idea of ‘raise women to power, take men away from the power,’ is never going to work because we need balance.” Though attempting to denounce feminism, Woodley actually indicated that she is, by definition, a feminist.

I can see why people may be hesitant to identify with the feminist label. It is heavily stigmatized. But, in the words of J.K. Rowling, “fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself,” and feminism really is nothing to fear.

Currently, we are experiencing what is called the “third wave of feminism.” The first wave of feminism in the United States began in the early 20th century and focused primarily on women’s suffrage. In the 1960s, a new wave emerged, seeking the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment as a delayed response to the widespread domesticity of women after World War II.

This third wave concentrates on emancipating women from cultural and sexual constraints. Third-wave feminism spreads through the Internet, pop culture and social media. In her surprise fifth album, Beyonce samples Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk entitled “We Should All Be Feminists,” spreading Adichie’s message to the more than 3 million people who bought the album.

And why should we all be feminists? Because one in six American women will be the victim of an attempted or actual rape. Because women only make 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. Because young girls are constantly being told to cover up at school so they don’t “distract boys.” And because feminism benefits men, too.

Society’s imposed gender roles affect men just as much as they do women. Boys are taught at a very early age that in order to be masculine, they have to bottle up their emotions and be physically strong. It’s important men become involved in the feminist movement not only to be educated about women’s issues but also to help eliminate stereotypes associated with their own sex.

So yeah, I’m a feminist. I’m proud of that. To me, feminism isn’t about excluding or hating men. Feminism is about equality, and that’s something everyone, male and female, needs to embrace.  p