For the first time in my life, I'm struggling with relating to the feminist cause. I've always considered myself a feminist, but if feminism is about rejecting positive male influence, count me out. I'm a 32 year old career woman with 70+ employees and 10s of millions of dollars under my management, so I am the product of what women fought for all those years ago. But funny thing, along the way, was the male college professor that pushed me beyond my self imposed limits and taught me to take my intellectual seat at the table; the male boss who gave me my first managerial job because he believed in my capabilities; my next male boss who refused to let me walk away from my first marketing campaign because he believed in me, resulting in my first big million dollar win and the confidence to take the lead; and my husband who has supported without question everything I have ever wanted to do.

The thing I've always taken from the feminist movement has been the freedom to choose, but the bile that is spewed back and forth over the course of this election has undermined everything for which I thought feminism stood. I'm very disillusioned with my heroes of old and I think that they've failed to change with the times and accepted the wonderful changes that they've helped to create for women of my generation and beyond.

As I contemplate what feminism means to me, the Hillary feminism issue really boggles me. She tried to win by turning Obama into the girl. She had more "testicular fortitude" according to her campaign. Well, what's wrong with being the girl? I don't want to be the man, I just want the same choices. I wish that she had run her campaign and relished being the woman. Then I could have related to her from a more up to date feminist perspective. The women that blazed the trail opened up the door for us to have the same choices as men, but while remaining women. How is it that the feminine icon of our time tried so hard to be the man?