I started wearing concealer about a year ago and in the past month I have started wearing foundation and adding eyeliner. Many people have commented on it, saying things like, “Wow, your makeup looks on fleek today,” or, “Are you wearing eyeliner? That is so cool.”

While most people have supported my decision to wear makeup, there has also been a lot of gossip spread around about my sexuality. For the longest time there was this huge rumor going around that I was gay, and many people began to believe it.

Sometimes, when people would see me in school, they would call me gay or queer simply because I was wearing makeup or because they had heard the rumors. For the longest time, the stories and names really hurt me, and often times this past year, I would go home and cry because people would relentlessly tease me.

Just because someone wears something or acts a certain way does not make them gay. The idea that “feminine equals gay” is absolutely ridiculous. Gender equality has come a long way, but there is still a lot further to go. Men and women should have the same social acceptances, and this includes makeup.

I wear makeup because it makes me feel confident. I have mild acne and I hate seeing my imperfections when I look in the mirror. But with makeup on, I can hide all of my blemishes. I am forced to accept the fact that wearing makeup is considered feminine because we’ve been raised to believe this idea. Our culture needs to change our perception on how we view gender differences. Being like the opposite gender is not a negative thing.

We should no longer assume someone’s sexuality by how they express themselves. It’s pathetic that society treats men that are at all like women, as jokes. Then it’s assumed that they’re gay based on how they act. I know that, by society’s standards, I am feminine. The name calling and the rumors used to have a huge impact on how I felt. I’ve grown so that the teasing no longer affects me, and that started when I accepted who I  am, and I’m much happier because of this.

Many individuals are still affected by the stereotype that being feminine is the same as being gay. An individual that I corresponded with, decided to remain anonymous so that they wouldn’t be affected for speaking out about this topic. “I’ve wanted to break away from the social pressures of masculinity and express myself through the makeup,” they said. “Vanity is for the most part considered a feminine trait. If a guy wears makeup, it is as if he is giving up the control of his romantic life by making himself seem more attractive to the opposite sex instead of just instigating the romance himself.”

“I personally don’t wear makeup because I don’t think that it’s a necessary thing for a anyone to wear,” junior Haley Dunn said. “It’s my choice whether or not I want to wear make up and I choose not to. The same choice should be given to guys and they shouldn’t be judged for wearing makeup just like girls shouldn’t be judged for not wearing it.” Everyone should just do what makes them happy, and they shouldn’t be judged for it. I wear makeup because it makes me feel more confident, but if someone doesn’t feel they need to, then that’s alright, and if another guy wants to wear more makeup than me, that would be totally acceptable. Gender equality won’t just happen, it will take all of us being who we are and accepting one another.