The feminine The Feminist

​My Conversation with Alicia Gonzales​
… One too many times I have been called a Feminist. I mean I have been called that so many times that I have learned to no react. And really, I think I get called this because I encourage women to get an education, be strong and have a motivation in life. People see this as encouraging women to not need men but its actually incorrect, it encourages you to be able to survive in the world we live in. I think men need women and women need men- i'm speaking of course as a heterosexual.

…So are you a Feminist? (Alicia Gonzales)
No, I do not consider myself to be one. I am of course grateful for feminists. I truly believe that feminists paved the way for a lot of what we enjoy today as women. Being able to live an independent life which is a necessary survival skill today. However, I can also understand how people would view me as a feminist due to my involvement in activism or as someone who stands for women and humans in general to be treated fairly.

… How would you describe yourself?
If I were to describe myself. Feminist would not be the word I’d use. I would describe myself as Feminine. I chose that word because the word feminist comes with the – Hey look at me, I’m a lone and can do it all by myself because I am superwoman rhetoric written all over it. In its definition according to the Oxford dictionary, a Feminist is someone who supports, or advocates feminism and feminism basically is “the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes”.  

Now, I am a huge supporter and an advocate for human rights including women’s rights especially as relates to reproductive rights. Everyday, I do my best to fight for women to be treated fairly in all works of life and most especially for women to have rights over their own decisions as regards to their body just as I feel every human should.
 
However, Let’s not confuse that with how I view myself as a female. I am very feminine, and an all-time daddy’s girl. I have very strong core values that are based on my upbringing, my faith and my school of thought. I have very strong role models that have set a pretty good expectations in how I relate with people in general. I do believe that having the ability to live independently and be whole by yourself is essential in the world that we live in today; but I also believe in the idea of a household, I do believe in leadership, I do believe in partnership in a unit (in whatever form it may be for you today) and can be very traditional in some of my beliefs.

… What does that mean for you, as relates to your personal life - I mean, what about gender equality?

• Gender equality is left for feminists to battle out. I try not to see things that way I would rather use the term human rights. I say that because, I hold my traditional values very close to my heart. Yes, I may be in every sense of what the world today would describe as an independent woman. Of course, I have done well for myself and learned the necessary survival skills. But I think as women we have taken this independence to a different level of expecting less and less from our men. It’s made them lazy and needy and literally handicap and it's creating havoc everywhere.

 I enjoy basking in my femininity, I enjoy being a female and I'm not trying to change that for anything. I like being adored by the man in my life, I like being cared for, loved, protected and cherished. I am a 100% girly girl and he knows that he must lead, provide, must cherish, must love and must protect. I love, honor, and I treat him like a king because he treats me like a queen.
I think where we tend to go wrong is replacing our femininity with education, accomplishments and a 12-pack battery of testosterone on our backs. But nothing says you can’t be smart and/or accomplished and feminine at the same time. Your personal accomplishments are just that, personal. For the feminine woman, it boosts her femininity not replace it. 

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