For so many of us, embracing our femininity feels like a dangerous game. We’ve been told from an early age that to be feminine is to be weak, vulnerable, and, in some twisted way, less worthy of respect. Whether we’re women, nonbinary, or trans men, the act of reclaiming femininity often comes with a heavy dose of shame—a lingering sense that it’s somehow frivolous or excessive to want to look and feel beautiful.
But here's the thing: femininity is not the problem. The problem is a world that has taught us to feel ashamed for wanting to express it.
Growing up, I remember being told that makeup was a mask, that it hid who I really was. But when I reached for that lipstick or foundation, I wasn’t hiding—I was reclaiming something that had been stolen from me. In a world that insists on defining who we are and how we should look, embracing femininity is a radical act of self-assertion.
