*Written by a member of the Her Campus at VCU team. Views are not indicative of Her Campus or Her Campus at VCU as a whole*
For the majority of my young life, I was immersed in conservative culture. Everything, from my family, to my neighborhood and the K-12 college preparatory school I attended for 13 years, screamed what can, to some, be considered “traditional American values.” Although it was never explicitly stated, the environment I was submerged in prided itself on its ability to uphold gender roles, justify nearly everything with religion and, although slyly, reveal its somewhat racist and socially ignorant beliefs. Although I was too young to understand at the time, I eventually realized that the ideals I had become so familiar with were backward, especially where female sexuality was concerned.
My school was one that had a dress code so strict and oppressive that they would send girls home for wearing a skirt of “an inappropriate length,” thus prioritizing appearances and an unnecessary suppression of sexuality over education. Other areas of my life followed suit, with members of my family warning me of the dangers of wearing revealing or tight clothing as it would “give people the wrong impression,” give me “unwanted attention” and make me “a target.” I understood why such expressions existed, but they didn’t sit well with me. Why should I sacrifice part of my identity to protect myself instead of potential aggressors being taught to respect the women around them? I realized that it was this same principle that prompted people to criticize a woman’s confidence. It was the same principle from which the labels “slut” and “whore” emerged, and it was the same principle that alerted me to the serious problems surrounding women’s sexuality in America.
As soon as I had the chance to apply to college, I decided that I wanted to attend a university where I could freely express myself as a woman. Coming from a conservative background made the transition from “covered up” to, what I like to lovingly call, “confident and unafraid” a bit difficult, but a worthwhile challenge to overcome. In the two years that I have been at college, my outlook has changed drastically. I wear clothing that makes me feel confident, not clothes that I feel will appease the general public. I understand that there is nothing inherently wrong about showing more skin, just as there is nothing wrong with choosing to cover up. It all comes down to personal preference and it should not be dictated by any outside parties.
Practically every day, I see articles shared by moms on Facebook about how certain female celebrities are bad role models for their daughters because of the way that they dress. Usually, such posts are embellished with photos of Miley Cyrus wearing nipple pasties instead of a shirt, Kim Kardashian showing too much cleavage or another successful woman leaving not much to the imagination. I always question, why does it matter? Or, to take it one step further, what about the way someone dresses warrants a judgment of character? I wish, instead of bashing women, famous or otherwise, for how they present themselves, the world would applaud such beautiful people for having the courage to express their roles as sexual beings and not conform to the image of sterility that women are often associated with.
So, women, I challenge you- do not conform to society’s standards. In a world where oppression is common, be the spark that sets the fire and breaks down traditional, conservative gender roles. Do not be afraid to ditch the childbearing, silent, non-sexual stigma that is attached to you. Express yourself, love your body and don’t let anyone tell you that embracing your sexuality is wrong.