Hey Jericho; Feminism.

Hey Jericho,

Pink is my favorite color, so I wear it as often as possible. I have this dress that is made out of pink lace that I really love, and when I wear it I just feel...like myself. Does that make sense? But the thing is, my friend Claire said that her mom said that girls who wear pink aren't feminists. Does that mean I shouldn't wear pink anymore? Does it mean I'm not a feminist?

Sincerely, Puzzled In Pink.

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Dear Puzzled In Pink,

Oh, girl, some people are so...well, wrong. And sadly, your friend's mom is one of these people. The short answer is: No you should not stop wearing pink and no wearing pink isn't anti-feminist. Here's why: Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. In other words, feminism is the theory that women and men should be treated equal in all ways. Now, call me crazy, but I don't see “feminists don't wear pink” anywhere in that definition. And guess what? My vision is 20/20, so if I don't see it, it's not there.

If you ask me (and you did), the fact that you love pink and choose to wear what you love actually is what makes you a feminist. If you ask me (and you did), any true feminist would want you to wear what makes you happy. If you ask me (and you did), I think telling girls not to wear pink is just forcing yet another rule on them, and I can tell you one thing for sure: forcing rules on girls is not feminist.

Now, one more thing: your friend's mom thinks pink isn't a feminist color because she's working with the TOTALLY WRONG IDEA that feminism is a rejection of of all things girly. In actuality, feminism is a rejection of all things oppressive. If pink feels oppressive, a girl shouldn't have to wear it, true! But if a girl loves pink, she should wear it and ignore anyone who says otherwise.

Oh, and one more thing: be wary of anyone who says “girly” like it's a bad thing.

All my love, Jericho.