On the sexualization of teenage girls...
by David Davila
One of the biggest problems of a Trump presidency is that little girls and boys are being taught that girls are sexual objects. I cried when Hillary Clinton lost the presidency not only because I feared a country under the rule of a fascist white supremacist but also because of the message that came with that win: it's okay to sexually assault women.
Within the context of the next four years I'm torn as to what to tell my four year old niece or any other school age girl for that matter. Should I continue preaching that women should be able to wear whatever they want because they are not owned by men, or should I instead tell them to protect themselves from evil men at all costs including covering up their midriffs? I want to think that I would continue telling them to wear whatever they want.
When shared that message on facebook before my feed suddenly became an explosion of anger from people I knew in Texas who claimed that I was teaching girls to be sluts, or teaching them to use their sexuality to get ahead in the world. I argued that I was simply teaching them that they were valuable members of society and should not be controlled by men. However I do see the basis for their claims. Many women have used their sexuality to get ahead in this world including our future first lady, Melania Trump.
Melania Trump's pornographic past is no secret and it is the exact thing that has made her first lady. Still, as millions of people condemn her for her past and the path that she took to the White House, I instead think she is not at fault. She was a woman who took the only thing she had in her power to elevate herself in a world dominated by the patriarchy. For it was in fact the patriarchy who created pornography in the first place. It is predominantly men who spend billions of dollars in pornography annually and it is men who have created a culture that sexualizes women so much that there is an entire illegal industry based on sex trade.
So instead of "slut shamming" Melania Trump I applaud her for being courageous enough to take power when she saw the opportunity. There are many teenage girls who see the same opportunity in their environments and decide to take it. Many of the girls being sent home from school for baring their midriffs are among these women. Still, I'm not sure I can blame them because as a country we have again proven that a women has more worth as a sex symbol than a strong leader who fought her entire life for the good of the public and for children's rights.
We have reinforced the myth that a bathing suit is more valuable than a pantsuit. I'm ashamed at everyone that thinks it is better to elect an alleged pedophile and known sexual assailant than an intelligent and experienced female leader. My common sense wants to tell young girls to use their bodies to gain a man of stature, but my heart still needs to tell them that this is not the way. Instead I call on all young women to unite against the patriarchy, to don a pantsuit and rebel. To go full Lysistrata on men in America. Women are half of the country and yet tyranny won the 2016 election.
Ladies wear whatever you want because it is your choice. If you want to wear a bikini than wear it. If you want to wear a burka than wear it. Just please show up, and please never stop fighting the injustices created by men in power!
Recent Comments