In our society, we have pushed the idea on young and unfortunately, sometimes middle-aged women that everything we do needs to be sexy, and Halloween is the day to make it porn-star worthy. I remember at a young age running into Party City to find the perfect costume and ended up gazing at a wall full of sexy outfits and thinking to myself “Damn, I wanna wear something like that.” Of course, in my dismay I was seven and could not fit into any of the women’s outfits. Year after year, I would sneak a “sexy” outfit into the dressing room praying it would fit, and that my Mom would say yes. When my time had finally come and puberty hit me, I walked into Party City with my chest out and head held high ready to feel like Megan Fox. As I looked in the mirror, I realized something — I do not want my Dad to see me walk out of the house like this. I went as Freddy Krueger instead.

I realized to myself, Halloween is a time a child (and some adults too, no judgement) can be whatever they want to be. If you still love to participate in the innocent fun of the holiday be my guest but all you ladies out there, it is 2016 and you really want to be a sexy nurse, firefighter, or police officer? How about a bad-ass nurse who studied for years to be able to save lives, or a woman officer who is pushing glass ceilings in a male dominated field?

I believe everyone has a choice, and a woman has a freedom to wear whatever she wants without risking her safety or respect; but perhaps, we should set a better example for little girls out there and try to stop the ridiculous over-sexualization of women on any occasion possible. Preferably starting with the worst one of all: Halloween.