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I Am Not a Piece of Meat

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Gustavus chapter.

Dear Men,

I believe that there has been some confusion as to what my purpose in this world is and I would like to clarify some things for you. First of all, it seems as though you believe that I was put on this earth to please you. Though it may shock you that is actually not the case. *gasp* I know, crazy, right?! I mean don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making people smile but that’s because it makes ME happy. I haven’t figured out what my exact purpose is but I do know for sure that it is not just to please you.

Now to another point that you may want to sit down to hear. This may shock you but… my body… is my body… and you don’t control it… (I’ll give you a second to process, I know it’s hard to hear). Despite what the media may have you believing. A woman’s body is her own and no one should have the ability to control what she does with it. Not only does this include abortion (which I could rant about for days), but also this means that you, as a male, should not ever expect a woman to do something just because she’s a woman.

Now that brings me to the main reason I wanted to write this. Now this may be the most heartbreaking, gut wrenching news you’ve received in a long time but it turns out that I am NOT a piece of meat. You do not get to determine my value based on my thickness, or fat content. Nor do you get to just grab me off the shelf because you think I look tasty. I am not a piece of meat you can cook to your pleasing and devour at your leisure. I am a human being for God’s sake. I do not have to send you pictures when you request them. I do not have to put out just because I turned you on. As it is often said, my body is a god damn temple… and I get to choose who worships it.

Now I’m not saying that you’re all egotistical f*ck boys, and I’m not saying you aren’t allowed to compliment me. What I am saying is that a woman deserves respect (or really anyone for that matter) no matter her size, sexual orientation, the number of guys she’s been with, or even the number of times she has chosen to please you. Instead of focusing on her body and telling her how good she looks (which is very much appreciated in moderation) try complimenting her laugh, or the way she speaks so passionately about her favorite book, or even something as simple as the way she says your name. There are so many ways to a girl’s heart but treating her like she’s a piece of meat is not one of them. That is all I have, do with it what you will.

Katie Allen is Editor-in-Chief for Gustavus' Her Campus Chapter. She is currently in her fourth year as an English major. Her role models include Emma Watson, Hillary Clinton, and Leslie Knope.