Hear Me Roar

I hold an unpopular opinion: women should be allowed to get angry. Now I know that the first thing to come to mind is disagreeing with the statement. That everyone sees this as no, women can express themselves the same as anyone else, and you're allowed to hold an opinion. But let us think for a moment, when a women is genuinely upset, what do you do? Do you ask what's wrong and hold her opinion as valid, or do you move in with the "Cheer up" or (my personal favorite) "You're too pretty to be upset"? Let me be frank, I hate this. I am a passionate female, and hold my opinions strongly and chose to support what I believe in. However, I have been told time and time again to calm down and just don't worry about it (no matter what the "it" was). Here's my issue with that: no. No I do not want to just calm down and give up because someone tells me I should. No, I do not want to stop supporting a cause I support because it makes me loud and passionate. No, I am not the quiet type to sit on the sidelines, and let the man take charge of every decision and idea. I will not be controlled, and I will not succumb to someone else's will. I will fail at times, and I expect to (this is life we are talking about after all). But, I am my own person. I am a young adult of the female gender that holds an opinion, and an opinion that matters. I am a young female that holds the right to get upset if I deem something to be upset over. I am a young female that deserves a choice over my own body and reactions. I am not to be forced into a decision of someone else's choosing. I may be young, and I may be female. But I am more than that. I am a person. I am a Christian. I am a student. I am a friend. I am a worker. I am a leader. I am a reader. I am me. And while I am all of these things and more, I am a person with my own rights. And I refuse to be limited by someone else's expectation of what a young female (a small part of me) should be and act like.