This image was created last year by a then high schooler and recently shared on the photographer’s tumblr. The photographer owns that the image was a reflection of her own judgement about how women express their sexuality through clothing choices. Her image reflects the overwhelming pressure that shapes females sexuality and personal expression. Show too little skin and you are written off as prudish. Show too much skin and you are dismissed as a whore. This complex set of unspoken rules is a reflection of our legacy of a sex culture that focused on controlling and policing female sexuality. We are in the midst of a global shift towards a new sex culture, one that will be defined as we go and is open to your influence.
Make no mistake: global sex culture is rapidly changing. As cultural agents, we have the opportunity to define that change. In my very first post on this blog, I outlined some of my dreams for a new global sex culture. I believe we all help create the new sex culture with our personal and political choices. Every moment counts: do you slut shame your friends when they fully express their sexuality? Do you police your own sexuality to fit into a “good girl” standard that you never chose for yourself? How do you think about and talk about people whose sexualities are different from your own? Do you prioritize pleasure or think of it as a “reward” you must “earn,” as if pleasure was something that needed to be rationed?
I applaud this young photographer for sharing her work and challenging us all to think about how we still police female sexuality through fashion and judgement, in both directions of the hemline. It is a good opportunity to pause and revisit our own preconceptions and dedicate ourselves to actively creating a global sex culture that is healthy and liberating for all.
Here is another thoughtful look at this photograph, from The Society Pages.