It's that time of year again: Halloween parties where girls dress up as a fruit or a sexy anything, and guys try to be clever while still keeping priority number one in mind: getting trashed. Halloween can be one of the most fun holidays of the year, and for a day (or two, or three) you can be whoever you want to be, and express your creativity as much or as little as you want with no regard. While being safe is always the most important part about Halloween festivities, the second most important is making sure your costume is both appropriate, and not offensive.
This is the part where you probably call me a snowflake for actually caring about people's (specifically minorities) feelings, and the way we portray and represent their culture. I have a few tips, tricks and definite no-go's to dressing your best for this year's Halloween activities.
1. Black face is an absolute no.
Whether you're trying to be Barack Obama, or OJ Simpson, it's never okay. By applying black makeup to your face and even accentuating features in order to look "more black" is completely wrong and insensitive to being of color. Instead, you could buy a mask, or even better, pick a popular figure of your own race to dress as. This also goes for dressing as Hispanic people, or Hawaiian, as well.
2. Cultural Appropriation is never sexy.
Sorry, white girl from I- Eata- Pi or whatever, but dressing as a native american, scantily clad and with brown eyeliner all over your face as native ritual markings is so insensitive and it's really not cute. Pocahontas is an important historical figure and should be respected as such. She was also somewhere around the age of 13-16, so if you're trying to dress as a sexualized version of a child, you may have other issues to address. You wouldn't dress as a sexy middle schooler any other day, and you shouldn't on October 31st, either. Besides, it's worn out. This goes for Geishas, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians.
3. Dressing as the opposite gender is probably off the table.
Not to say that this cannot be done tastefully, but be wary of the transgender community in your area, and on your social media where you will be posting your pictures. Dressing up as "Bruce gone Caitlin" by morphing the two identities in one costume is not even wrong, but it shows how ignorant you really are about the LGBT community and their opinions. If you wouldn't wear it to a pride parade, maybe don't wear it to Sigma Apple Pie's Halloween Spooktastical. There are exceptions to this rule, but there are few and they still can be very precarious. I would suggest to stay away unless you know it's sensitive.
4. Alluding to illegal activity is just gross.
You and your girlfriend should not dress as a priest and a schoolgirl. Something about this just seems disgusting, and I promise you won't get enough compliments for it be worth it anyway. Why would you want to dress like a pedophile? This also could label you as something you are not, in a bad way. Obviously dressing as the KoolAid Man, or a ghost is presenting something you are not, but dressing as a school shooter, or a gang banger is distinguishing you as someone who thinks crime, and hurting others is funny and okay.
5. Religious Garb is a No-No.
Dressing in a hijab, or even a priest's religious garb is completely wrong, especially since some of these religious clothing is often under fire, and cause so many people so much pain and discrimination any other day. If you do not identify with a certain religion, it is, in a way, exploiting others' beliefs and sacred truths. Also, upside down crosses are a little questionable, but that's my personal opinion. Portraying yourself as a devil worshiper is super bad vibes and you never know, this could bring about the bad spirits and you could be haunted for like, ever. I mean, if that's what you believe in. Nuns, Muslims, priests should be crossed off your list. That should be pretty obvious