For many years, one of my uncles used to call me a feminist.

Not as a compliment.

In his definition, feminism meant women believing they are superior to men. Women thinking they are better. Women trying to dominate.

That was his understanding.

And honestly, I used to call myself a feminist just to irritate him.

Because I knew what feminism actually meant.

Equality.

Not superiority.

But somewhere, I realized something.

I was using a label in reaction.

Not in reflection.

Feminism, at its core, stands for equality between men and women. Equal rights. Equal opportunities. Equal dignity.

And I believe in that.

But over time, my thinking expanded.

If equality is important between men and women, what about everyone else?

What about people who don’t fit into those two categories?

What about human dignity beyond gender?

That’s when I stopped feeling attached to the label.

Not because I stopped believing in equality.

But because I started believing in something broader.

Human value.

Human dignity.

Human awareness.

Today, I don’t feel the need to call myself a feminist.

Not because I oppose it.

But because I see myself more as a humanist.

Someone who believes in dignity for everyone.

Someone who believes equality should not stop at gender.

Someone who believes we don’t have to divide ourselves into camps to respect each other.

Do inequalities still exist in society?

Yes.

Are there still social stigmas?

Of course.

But I don’t want to build my identity in opposition.

I want to build it in awareness.

I don’t want to say, “I am this because you are that.”

I want to say, “I stand for fairness, compassion, and responsibility for all humans.”

Maybe this is maturity.

Moving from reaction to reflection.

From irritation to intention.

From labels to values.

I don’t need a word to defend myself anymore.

I need clarity about what I believe.

And what I believe is simple:

Respect should not be gender-based.

Dignity should not be conditional.

And equality should not feel like competition.

It should feel natural.

I don’t know if this makes me less of something or more of something.

But I know this:

I no longer define myself in opposition.

I define myself by awareness.

And that feels peaceful.