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Back when gender roles were more strictly defined, a “sissy” was the last thing a man wanted to be called. These days, some men are going out of their way trying to earn the privilege of being called a sissy.

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I’ve always been seen as difficult — even from the beginning. And I’m sick of being expected by society to bow my head and be quiet.

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I will always rise.

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I was essentially being told what to wear to work — as if sexist societal norms were some type of excuse — as if my own hard work into this profession didn’t speak for itself.

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Learn, think, move forward. Use your voice as a chain to break freer, like a battering, swinging signal. Let’s educate ourselves, inform ourselves, and never let them put us down again.

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Take the pictures. Take them all. If you’re feeling it, take 100 in a row. Soak in this moment and say, “Damn, I look good.” Because you do.

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A strong woman will never fit perfectly into your idea of strength, or even womanhood.

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Are we using it to promote a healthy coexistence with men or are we turning into men to try to beat them at their own game? Have women in the public eye been using this responsibly?

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We as women are put into a box – we can be pacified and accept these terms and conditions that come with our birth certificate, or we can challenge them.

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I grew up fully aware of the fact that I was never going to be the tall, gorgeous girl that ruled every high school and college campus. I’ve always been too short, and in fact spent most of my high school and college years learning to subtly stand on tiptoes to be the same height as everyone else.