Declaration of a Conservative Feminist

 While browsing the web over the past few weeks at my super important desk job(...), I found myself reading several articles on women in the workplace and fights for gender equality:

-         “We worked so hard to get here so we need to make those who fought for our freedom proud by changing the statistics!”

-         “Being a mom isn't enough to the modern day woman."
-         “More nannies, more days off, more ways to balance!”

After filling my brain with such heavy woman-powered agenda’s, my brain goes into a bit of an overload and I have to counteract it with mommy blogs and Pinterest:  

-         “Look at these crafty cupcakes I intricately decorated!”

-         “Here’s another photo session of my baby in case you didn’t see the past 5 I posted”

-         “I do these workouts to help get rid of the post-baby body."

What a difference it is going from women-need-to-be-treated-equally-and-have-exactly-50-percent-of-the-professional-jobs-and-anyone-who-thinks-differently-is-offending-me

to…

I’m-a-stay-at-home-mom-and-any-woman-who-works-more-than-20-hours-outside-their-home-is-offending-God-and-their-children. I feel like women are now moving to only two ways of thinking and are absolutely intolerant to the other party. Like there is no way to have a little bit of both, or to choose one and have a friend in the other. Like no matter what, you WILL be disappointing some society. And maybe it’s always been like that. Social media certainly doesn’t help merge the gap.

But I WANT to. I want to merge the gap. I want to be a feminist conservative. I want to not feel judged from the mom’s that I am still not pregnant. I want to not feel judged from my business women that I am already married. I want to be taken seriously when I say I want a job while I raise my family. BUT I also don’t want to be thought as a failure if, after I have a kid, I change my mind. Even though the judgments don't change me and I don't have to react to them 1) I do...because wait for it: I'm not perfect 2) it still doesn't change the current views of what woman should and should be/do. So here it goes...

I am a feminist. I believe women should always be treated equally and given any opportunity they desire. I love women in all their glorious callings. I think we’re way different than men inherently and so obviously! Whether you’re a tomboy, a lesbian, a house wife, a corporate queen, or anything else, you’re NOT a man.

I am a conservative. I believe in getting married and  raising a family. And  if we don’t hit that 50% equality mark for every job and educational major,  I’m OK with it. Because we probably won’t want the same kind of professions that a man does…because we’re not men. And some of our responsibilities will always be different. Because we're the ones that get pregnant, have the baby, and breast feed. And I love that about women!

And when I hop from one personality to the next (or just teeter in the middle like I seem to do now), I haven’t failed feminism but have reinforced it; that I know I can be whatever I am and be a woman. And to me, THAT’S what the women fought for all those years ago. A Woman DOESN’T have to do everything. She could just have a job like I do right now. Or she could just have a family that their raising. Or she could try and do both. But it’s all feministic because we can. And how awesome is that?

So with the upcoming election underway, women’s rights have been a hot topic. Let’s all vote. The most amazing right we as citizens have in this country is live in a democracy where women can fight for these rights and live how they choose. Vote and announce your feminism to the world!