I need feminism because we grow up in a society where we are taught from a young age that there is complete equality in gender and race, in sexual orientation and social class. That no one is different and everyone matters and has the same opportunities in life. Then comes a time when we realize that that is not the case, that on the surface maybe, just maybe, if you squint and turn your head to the side there may be the appearance of equality. This is only because this notion is so stitched into society, so worked into the woodwork that it becomes interchangeable with “normal”. It is at that time that we have a choice, either we can ignore this realization and continue on, denying what is in front of us and accepting this “normal” way of life, or we can speak out, we can train ourselves to recognize it and actively fight against it. This isn’t something that can just happen overnight, and it isn’t something that washes away all of the things we have done or will do as human beings to contribute to that frame of mind. And all too often people pick the former.