by Joanne Ogilvie, Guest Writer

Source: Bluestockings Magazine

[Image description: The graphic consists of a light turquoise ribbon against a purple background. The text on the ribbon reads, “No Slut Shaming.”]

It’s only 10:30 am, and I have already read two tweets and two articles posted about slut shaming. I’m familiar with the term, but it’s certainly not part of my everyday vocabulary. For those of you who don’t know, slut shaming IS a thing. It’s a huge thing, and it’s everywhere. Women are constantly judged on their appearance and dissected into pieces. Those pieces are then objectified, people make assumptions and, before you know it, the finger is being pointed back at women for socially constructed issues concerning equality, rape, and sexuality.

Ever notice that a dozen men can walk around with a barbed wire tat on their arms and, although they’re occasionally made fun of, people usually say nothing? Then a woman walks by with a tattoo on her lower back and it’s labelled a “tramp stamp”; if she has a tattoo on her ribcage, it’s called a “skank flank.”

Oh society, you dirty little devil. The double standards that exist between men and women are so apparent and so widely used in mainstream society that no one thinks twice about the impact on a young woman’s life.

I myself have BOTH a “tramp stamp” and a “skank flank.” The meaning behind both of my tattoos is irrelevant because of their placement. I’ve received a lot of grief over my tattoos. The stereotypes that go along with tattoos are completely ridiculous. A dude gets tattooed and he’s a badass; I get tattoos and I get the nickname “patchy-Patty.” The assumption that, as a female, my body should be “pure” leads a whole lot of people to question my tattoos, why I have them, and whatever will I do when I’m old and wrinkly?

These issues revolving around slut shaming and tattoos make me question my own ideas about feminism. I’ve always considered myself a feminist. For me, this means I believe in gender equality, I speak up for myself, and I won’t conform to someone’s ideas of who or what I should or should not be. I feel empowerment as a woman, with so many strengths connected to my intuition, the magic of my body, and what it can do. But how far or how deep do I go?

Some schools create dress codes for female students that include the amount of chest and legs they can show, and that ban tights and short skirts. My first reaction is disgust. The main reason behind these dress codes is that the clothing is apparently “too distracting for the boys “and “they needed to be able to focus on their academics.” It’s absolutely absurd – but completely predictable – that females would be blamed for men being distracted. Never mind educating young men, and society as a whole, not to look at women’s bodies like slabs of sexual meat. No, make women change their ways.

However, in the back of my head, I still don’t feel comfortable with how revealing the clothing of some young girls can be. As an auntie, the last thing I want to see on my nieces are any articles of clothing that show their butt cheeks or boobs.

As per usual, I’m a walking contradiction.

I think that women have increasingly become overtly sexualized. There’s still a spectrum of clothing to choose from, but a lot of clothing seems to accentuate the most sexualized parts of our bodies – breasts, tummy, butt, and legs. So society creates this notion of what is sexy, what is not, what will get you the guy, what won’t – and then it punishes women for conforming. It’s a complete Catch-22.

I’ll continue to align myself as a feminist, and you can call me whatever names that perpetuate why I choose this label. My views are sometimes contradictory. But I continue to work on them.

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Joanne Ogilvie is a feminist and social blogger in her late twenties with a strong passion for equality. Her opinions are strong, sarcastic, and always from the left side. She comes from a sociological background and uses many of her own life experiences to fuel her writing. Compassion and empathy are her keys to success. She uses her writing not only as an outlet for her incessant rants, but also as a means to advocate for the disenfranchised.

When asked why she submitted this piece to The Body is Not An Apology, Joanne wrote, “I submitted this piece because of what The Body is Not An Apology stands for. The values and guidelines that TBINAA abides by largely align with my own set of values. I am a firm supporter of what TBINAA is trying to do and the great articles that it shares with the world. I hope that my message is inspiring, educational, and relatable while sparking a giggle or two.TBINAA is the perfect vehicle for a positive message on self-image and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of such a remarkable movement.”