Standing Up For Feminism in all Types of Clothing

I wrote the following in response to the following article at Bust Magazine:  Sexually Exploit Yourself to Help Stop Sex Trafficking .

As mostly aware feminists, we do ourselves, those more aware, and especially those less aware a disservice with our outward adoption of supposedly male-defined beauty standards but inward rejection of male-defining.



I too wear make-up (I like the theatrics that we can change our appearance), wear dresses/ skirts (they are more comfortable than pants, most days), wear high heels (I truly believe I was supposed to be 6'0" and being 5'10" is just not good enough), and I date men. The latter is the hardest to reconcile, but that is for another post.


In the end, however, all the six year old girl who we pass on the street sees is that we look like what she sees Barbie selling her. She doesn't get to see all of our well thought out logic on comfort and that the vast majority of humanity consider "dresses" unisex, it is just Western ideals that limits wearing them to the female of our species. She knows none of this, especially, when the skirt is cute and short. SO what can we do? When we talk to her, when we pass her, somehow she has to know that it is NOT about how you look on the outside it is about how we let people treat us and we have to be treated with respect and valued, which are the opposite of objectified and exploited.


She gets to wear the cute short skirt, but she HAS to stand up to the catcalling a$$hole who objectifies her and she has to walk away from the man who says that she is too pretty to be walking and should be being chauffeured (true way that pimps lure victims). She is worth more than their praise, their desire, and their power. She deserves more.


The young women who are going to be shaking what their mommas gave them for charity and for sex appeal, should be admonished for that because flaunting their choice in the name of those who have no choice is insulting to the women they claim to support. Victims of Trafficking would not want to watch them dance; they would want to know that people are earnestly working to end their slavery.


The young women of the sorority also need, however, to be seen as victims. They may get to eat where they want, keep the money they earn, and not live in fear of mortal retribution if they do not sell their bodies, BUT they are exploited. There will be men profiting from their mentalities of sex sells, especially exaggerated hyper feminine borderline lesbian sex. It may not be the night of the benefit nor may it be those particular young women, but there will be others.


So to the writer of this blog, I say, go to the event, pass out literature to the audience (know it will be discarded by 95% of the people), prey on the hosts wanting to feel good and go do a talk on Trafficking (or find someone in your community who can) at their sorority house (make sure the person can tie their event in, not to berate their good intentions, but to further educate them), and do it in whatever clothes in which you feel comfortable.


Remember, also, please, that not wearing skirts, heels, make-up also means that we live by patriarchal constraints because feminists are supposed to be "masculine," because using voice to enact change is only for men... at least that is what they would have us also believe.


Fight the good fight, sisters!