Why does the "double-standard" exist?

It is nefariously present in our society (shirtless men are not treated as slutty whores to be objectified the same way some people will do with a girl/woman in a short skirt/not wearing a bra, etc.). Then there is this other double standard: slut shaming.  I want all sexes to be taught about the perils of objectification.  Rather than teach everyone on the planet via media, religion, etc. that women should be virginal, but heterosexual boys should be experienced (please tell me WHO these men are supposed to get their experience with?), we should be showing that many people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation are sexual beings.  The more we try to repress sexuality, the more it presents itself in some really effed up ways.  Sexuality in an of itself is a pretty rad thing.  Why not embrace it? Celebrate it as a piece of who we are, rather than all we are.

We should ALSO be teaching our young men NOT to objectify women, REGARDLESS of what they are wearing, how they are arching their back, etc.  We need to teach everyone (boys and girls) that EVERY person regardless of what they are wearing, how much make-up they have on, etc. deserves to be treated as a WHOLE person with thoughts, dreams and a life path.  Every single person is complex and dynamic.

I struggle with all this as I am bringing up a little girl, into this hypersexualized world that we inhabit and I want her to be both stoked about her body (her sexuality, her power, her desires), but I also want her to be stoked about all that she accomplishes in her life (her multiple intelligences, efforts, goals, etc.).  I want her to learn that she is MORE than her body, just like boys grow up knowing.  I am also a high school English teacher - so I see this played out in THOUSANDS of students every single year.

I will continue to "fight the good fight" and keep teaching our children that we are ALL to be valued for what's between the ears on the inside not just what's presented on the outside. 

All of these thoughts came from a blog posting that I saw months ago...these thoughts have been swimming around in my head since then and I needed them to be released. 

I love you all!

I also really appreciate you reading my thoughts/opinions/brain babies!

-Shawnee

1st Entry into BlogLand

One of my bestest friends in the whole wide world has been blogging her whole pregnancy, birthing and mommying experience...As a  result, I have been inspired to have a written record of all this fabulousness that is unraveling in my life.

For starters, I am a new mommy!  My wee little tot is 1 year and 3 months old and is such a rad little bean!

I’ve always found great joy in writing and have always thought that blogging would be a nice way to just let myself write about any old thang I thought to write about…I also thought this would be a great place to get my thoughts down & out about being a mother (when I had vowed to NEVER let that happen to me), being a wife (when I never thought that was something I wanted) and being a woman – well that one I have always been sure about.  I want to write about all these things and much, much MORE.  I’m not going to tie myself to any single genre or topic – I’m just going to let it rip.

So…thank you, in advance for reading my musings.

Sending you all love & hugs (well except for the racists, homophobes and the misogynists…ain’t nobody got time for that!).

-Shawnee