GynocraticGrrl

yayfeminism:

Short answer: Slut-shaming, also known as slut-bashing, is the idea of shaming and/or attacking a woman or a girl for being sexual, having one or more sexual partners, acknowledging sexual feelings, and/or acting on sexual feelings. Furthermore, it’s “about the implication that if a woman has sex that traditional society disapproves of, she should feel guilty and inferior” (Alon Levy, Slut Shaming). It is damaging not only to the girls and women targeted, but to women in general an society as a whole. It should be noted that slut-shaming can occur even if the term “slut” itself is not used.

You know what further disturbs me about the social construct of a “slut”? It’s that a person doesn’t even need to qualify by the standards typically argued by slut-shamers in order to be classified as one. Standards such as: “being sexual, having one or more sexual partners, acknowledging sexual feelings, and/or acting on sexual feelings.” A person can be sexually inactive and still be referred to as a slut simply because of an article of clothing. The label of “slut” is so ambiguous that virtually ANYONE can be reproached as one in accordance to the subjective standards that the shamer imposes on them. This just goes to show how ridiculously deplorable the concept of the “slut” is to begin with.