There are some who believe in the lie

that "all men are created equal"-

that we are the prosperous land of freedom and choice-

but equality is not hermaphroditic.

The gender of society is filled with testosterone,

and our femininity is the secret we keep to ourselves.

The swollen bruises of our daily beatings

show on every color of our skin.

Our ears ring with cheap irreverence.

From the cat-calls on the street,

to the court-room debates that measure our worth by the length of our skirt.

And, no, we did not "ask" for it.

Because we are not social play-things,

made to dress up and down however you please.

We are not women based on our fertility.

Our gender cannot be located between our legs.

Our sexuality is not your hidden fetish.

And the Maternal Womb is not your political battleground.

We are sisters born from the holocaust waged over thousands of years,

and wretched from the side of our brothers to be made their vassals.

They have lied to us and said we are on different planes,

that the universe is too small to handle the impact of our equality.

But if that is so, I would rather shatter the frame of this reality,

and build a new one where the worth of all people can be judged by the gold of our souls,

and not the parts of our bodies.