Standing Up To Sexism

Photo Courtesy of Denise Tejada/Youth Radio

As a teen girl, I know I’ll have to deal with sexism my whole life. But one place I can start to fight it — is inside myself.

“Boys are boys and girls are girls.” At least, that’s what was taught in my family. Women were supposed to have different hobbies, even different roles at home. On my dad’s side of the family boys ate before girls, who did all the cooking.

For years, that thinking held me back. In middle school, the basketball coach asked me to try out for the team. I loved basketball, but blurted out: “Basketball is a boy’s sport, not a girl’s sport.”

My mom helped me move past these biases. She explained I should never let being a girl stop me. And that my mindset was unfair to myself and other women.

I realized she was right. It took time to change.  I joined a feminism club. I started reexamining my assumptions.  Every time I caught myself thinking that I couldn’t do something, I’d stop and reexamine.

Now I’m a strong advocate for feminism, and I’m not afraid to stand up to sexism, even when it comes from my family.