THIS <3
At the same time if I choose to have my hair flowing in the wind and my boobs popping out of my shirt, you have no right to shame me for it. I am oppressed in that my society expects me to show some of my body, but if I show too much it is indecent; my body is sexualized and objectified, so if I go topless on a hot summer day it is deemed obscene when in fact I just want to cool off. My choice, then, is within a context. I might choose so that I may be deemed conventionally pretty or sexy. I might choose because I want to dress however I please, because my body— whatever it’s shape or size— is mine to enjoy, because I want to challenge and redefine what is beautiful.
Let’s put it this way: we live in societies that tell us to cover or expose our bodies in specific ways in order to be deemed decent or desirable. Beyond direct coercion, how each individual responds to the pressures is their prerogative. I respect the choice of women who choose to cover themselves. I do not respect those who put down others for choosing differently.
