Alex started a group text with me and Benny right after I released my vlog.

Group

To: Alex, Benny

Sun, Jan 10, 11:17 PM

Alex

You're crazy, dallas. Crazy/brilliant 👏

Dallas

Crilliant!

Benny

If any girl would have the balls to talk about shitting in front of the whole world it would b u

Alex

#girlscanhaveballs2 🎾🏀🏉

Dallas

Thanx, guys! Wasn't sure you would like it. I know you don't like the f word

Benny

Pffft I love the f word it's my favorite verb

Dallas

Not that word. FEMINISM

Alex

We don't not like that word. It's just a moodkiller.

U know, ur out w/ your date, she brings it up, u aren't sure if she has hairy pits or if she plans to castrate u cuz she hates men

Dallas

UGH you 2 drive me insane 😒SMH

Alex

U know I kid.

Dallas

What about you? Still no topic?

Alex

My metal topic is gonna work. U know Ms. Brooks is one of those weird feminists who wants to value our diverse ideas and voices

I mean, your topic was pretty stinky 💩why won't metal work?

Benny

Well crap, I still don't have an idea, unless I count that one u guys shot down. Better go research

Alex

Yeah... "research"

Dallas

Participant/observer ROFL 😂😂😂

The next morning before school I got up a little bit earlier and did my hair and makeup a little bit less so that I could look through all the responses I had gotten. Most of them were from my peers, but not all of them. A lot of my peers had retweeted my initial tweet since Ms. Brooks encouraged us all to do this for each other, so already it was circulating outside of my Twitter circle.

Right away, I could tell that my project was getting really mixed reception, which didn't surprise me; feminist issues are always divisive. Some people thought it was a stupid idea, others loved it, and others just hated it. Some people who disagreed with me made some good points. I sifted through all of it:

Richard Calden @sineppop

We don't wanna hear about that sweetheart

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

.@sineppop Don't call me sweetheart, I shit and I'm gonna talk about it

Kelsey F. @bluemoon7

.@DallasDelaney I think everyone knows that girls poop...this is stupid.

Kelcie Goodrich @KelcieSchmelsie

.@bluemoon7 obviously not everyone does, or they really want to pretend like they don't...tons of examples of this IRL...

Skating4Days @HallieAnderson

.@bluemoon7 It's not really about girls shitting...come on, it's about girls being able to adopt the perks of masculinity, like she said. #GirlShitToo

Camille Henderson @CammieHenderson21

Like we need a reason to value masculinity any more than we already do...

Ted Larson @TeddieGrahamL

.@DallasDelaney we all know that girls go to the bathroom. Also, girls are already engineers and politicians

Alice Brooks @AliceP.Brooks

.@DallasDelaney @TeddieGrahamL Women still have a hard time being accepted as engineers and politicians because of the way we are viewed

Alice Brooks @AliceP.Brooks

.@DallasDelaney @TeddieGrahamL There are many hurdles in those careers for women STILL

Lydia Lopez@dancingYogi32

.@DallasDelaney our boobs are sexualized so we can't show ourselves breastfeeding; our butts are sexualized so we can't talk about shitting (1/2)

Lydia Lopez@dancingYogi32

.@DallasDelaney Thinking butts are used for anything other than sex — ESPECIALLY defecation — makes ppl real uncomfortable (2/2)

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

.@dancingYogi32 EXACTLY!

King Phillip @Phillip_the_great

.@DallasDelaney I don't feel like guys talk about shitting any more than girls do. Guys are embarrassed by their bodily functions, too...we keep that shit private...pun intended

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

.@Phillip_the_great You must be one of those fancy dudes who lives in an uptight neighborhood

King Phillip @Phillip_the_great

.@DallasDelaney Nope. I'm just a regular dude, with respect for the people around me.

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

.@Phillip_the_great why is talking about something natural disrespectful? We do it with toddlers. Only when we start adulting does it get all weird

King Phillip @Phillip_the_great

.@DallasDelaney well toddlers don't know any better. Just like they don't know that hitting and picking your nose all the time isn't okay.

Todd Whitten @BricksandBones

@Dallas Delaney males have constricting gender roles, too, you know...

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

@BricksandBones I know, but this movement isn't focusing on that; I think women take the cake for more constricting gender roles anyways

Todd Whitten @BricksandBones

@Dallas Delaney I politely disagree.

Neela @DragonQu33n

I'm totes down with #GirlsShitToo. Girls are like supposed to be these magical creatures without any gross stuff ever seeping out of our bodies BUT WE'RE JUST LIKE DUDES

Valerie Devant @VVDevant1

.@Dallas Delaney Ummmmm...wow.

Dallas Delaney @DallasDelaney

@VVDevant1 You're welcome!

Chad Quagmire @getthatcake234

.@DallasDelaney girls are FEMALES their supposed to b FEMENINE

Grace Filmore @bythegraceofGrace

You suffer from lesbianism because you have detached yourself from your God-given femininity. Quite sad.

Going through all of the tweets, I discovered that, regardless of all the mixed reception, I was super happy with #GirlsShitToo. The cussing and the toilet talk were definitely selling points (or, as Ms. Brooks would say, they were "rhetorical"). My classmates were retweeting my post all over the place, whether they wanted to bring me popularity or humiliation. But I was above humiliation. My risky angle was totally working for me—I had gotten everyone's attention. I knew I was taking a risk by choosing the topic that I had, but...no risk, no reward, right?

____________________

How I Plan to Change the World

By Dallas Delaney

I plan to change the world by showing girls and women that they can be just like boys and men. Through social media activism, I will show an audience of girls and women that the subtle perks of masculinity can belong to them, too.

____________________