Once upon a time, it was considered a huge taboo for a man to lay hands on a woman in any regard. But that was back in the days when men were expected to be chivalrous—a form of behavior that is now considered sexist and condescending.

Today, it is perfectly acceptable for a man to hit a woman should she strike him first. So what’s changed between then and now?

Feminism.

The feminist movement has outlined a completely new set of social norms in which women are to be treated the same as men. This new form of gender equality has brought forth some very different rules when it comes to interactions between men and women.

For one, as stated before, it means that a man is 100% in the right to hit a female if she hits him first. Does this mean he should beat her to a bloody pulp? Absolutely not. But if she slaps him, he has every right to slap her back. If she punches him, he has every right to punch her back. If she kicks him, he has every right to kick her back. You get the point.

This new brand of equality extends to other areas as well. No longer is it considered the man’s responsibility to pay for the first date, or any other date for that matter. The new norm is to go Dutch and split the bill down the middle.

Of course, if we’re talking true equality, that means women should have to register for the draft, too. But if you ask me, it should have been that way all along.

Equality comes with a price, and part of that price is removing any and all special treatment that women receive solely because of their gender. Personally, I think the price is worth it, though.