In the latest issue of Xtra, Julia Gonsalves has penned a brilliant, insightful and enlightening piece on the modern view of feminism titled “That Strong Angry Thing.”

She has a healthy nostalgia for the tag, and asserts that her definitions of self have expanded substantially over the years. I love her take on how feminism changed her life, how it became like a “second religion” for her, but over time, as she questioned her gender identity, she came to realize that defining herself as one thing became problematic.

Rather than dismissing the label all together, she asserts that its a vital part of who she is, yet who she is is so much more:

Finding feminism is like discovering the matrix. You can’t believe you didn’t notice all this stuff, you can’t believe no one told you how fucked up things are. You feel angry for knowing, angry for having not known. It’s such a harsh transition to make. You don’t just gently start to pick up on misogyny here and there. Once the floodgates are open you are smacked relentlessly with realization after realization. It can be devastating and it can feel like the only way not to drown is to find a really big crew and a really big boat, put your head down — and paddle.

Great, smart stuff.