I would like to think that, in the grand scheme of things, humanity has made a lot of progress. For instance, sending men to the moon with only eight years of preparation is quite the feat. And on the other side of the spectrum, just months ago, gay marriage was legalized in the United States.

Personally, I believe these accomplishments are something we should be proud of. So how is it that these once radical ideas are no longer considered impossible, yet something as simple as equal pay is still an issue? Men and women have been working alongside each other for years, doing the same job and working the same amount of hours, but their paychecks don’t match up.

Recently, female icon Jennifer Lawrence released an article regarding the pay gap between herself and her male colleagues. When Sony was hacked, many contracts were released, exposing the amount each actor was paid. In response to this, Lawrence sent in an article to Letters to Lenny, a section in Lenny, an online newsletter. Lawrence states that, “I would be lying if I didn’t say there was an element of wanting to be liked that influenced my decision to close the deal [on my movie contract] without a real fight. I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’ or ‘spoiled’.”

While I’ve never had to negotiate a movie deal (or been offered a movie deal), I can think of times in my life where I was constantly thinking or being told to ‘act like a lady.’ Why is it that we are so worried about how men are going to see us? We shouldn’t be afraid of expressing our opinions due to the fear of scaring off men.

News flash, I don’t lift my pinky when I drink tea. Yes, I wear dresses, I love dressing up. I’ll cook food if you ask nicely because I like food, not because I belong in the kitchen.

However, there are other things I enjoy as well, and they don’t fit into the gender norm. I love listening to pop music as much as I enjoy listening to heavy metal or electronic dance music. Playing video games is something I have loved doing since I was young. When my cousin received Grand Theft Auto for his birthday, I wasn’t allowed to play it because “it wasn’t for girls.” I can count the number of my female friends that play video games on my hands, all because it was frowned upon when I was growing up, unless of course, the game involved puppies, princesses or flowers.

Even now, I own more gaming and YouTube related shirts than PINK shirts or many other girly brands.

As a kid, I loved playing in the garden; getting covered in dirt and mud was always fun, until you’re yelled at, but your male cousins are not. Those same male cousins also influenced my love for LEGO’s, building and Star Wars.

These gender roles are the heart of the problem. Until women can do the things men do and not be judged, we will continue to be looked down upon.  The same thing goes for men. They shouldn’t be expected to be the “man of the house” or the brawns instead of the brains. I predict that both genders will be looked down upon until society deems it socially acceptable.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. [The male actors involved in the same movie] all fought in negotiating powerful deals. I’m sure they were commended for being fierce and tactical, while I was busy worrying about coming across as a brat,” Lawrence wrote.

As Lawrence so elegantly put it, I’m tired of trying to find the adorable way to state my opinion and still be likeable. The pay gap is ridiculous and the gender norms behind it are even worse. It’s time for us to rise up and change the way we view women.