With Halloween just around the corner, college students everywhere are gearing up for one of the most crazy and party-filled weekends of the school year, the four days commonly referred to as Halloweekend. What distinguishes this weekend from the others? These parties don't just feature tons of sweaty drunk college kids, but sweaty drunk college kids in costume. Doesn't get much better than that, right? While Halloweekend is a ton of fun and a time for festivity, it is also a time period that invites a lot of often-brushed off sexism. How often do you hear conversation about how "slutty" or revealing a girl's halloween costume is? In fact, my inspiration for this article came from overhearing two guys in the dining hall this morning refer to the holiday as "Whore-oween" (shoutout to you guys!). While comments like these likely don't come from a place of hatred, and they are just repeated because this type of objectification has become the societal norm, it is still important to address them in order to hopefully eliminate the stigma attached to "slutty" costumes.
The negative stigma associated with revealing Halloween costumes is damaging and sends mixed-signals to young women. On one hand, I want to express my femininity and sexuality, but on the other hand I have been taught that promiscuity is dangerous and might lead to harassment or worse, rape. It makes no sense to me that as much as women are societally sexualized and expected to have the perfect bodies, that by showing skin we are effectively subjecting ourselves to this type of shame and degradation. Why does what I'm wearing give you the right to judge me? It is my body and I create my own rules for it; I'll do me and you do you. Maybe I want to be promiscuous and show some skin, maybe I couldn't find another costume to wear, maybe I'm just living my life and I don't care what you think of me. When talking about someone else's costume choice, please remember to stick to the golden rule: if you can't find anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
If you want to be a slut, be a slut. Whatever that means to you. Do whatever makes you happy and have fun with it. Some gross frat boy's opinion of your outfit should be the least of your concerns. Let this article serve as a reminder that you are so much more than your body: your body is simply the shell for your soul.
Have fun out there, eat some candy, stay safe, and promote love and equality always. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
