Recently, I have realized that women hurt each other too much. We call each other "bitch," "whore," "slut," and worse. No wonder men feel as if they can call us these words as well.
Throughout the last few months, I have heard men at bars talk about women like this and wondered why. They are merely acting like we do. In a world where feminists still judge each other for our sex lives, we should be more cognizant, because even though I am a feminist, I am admittedly guilty of calling women such names. It is immature, and I pledge to stop.
All I have been doing is reinforcing the double standard where men can be sexually free and women cannot. I honestly do not have a thing against a woman who has a healthy sexuality and partakes in intercourse. Personally, I use these words if a woman has been with or paid attention to a man I am interested in romantically. Even though a woman does this, it is not my place to judge, especially if her intentions were not to personally steal a romantic opportunity that I wanted.
Men hear women such as myself say such things and believe that they can call a woman a slut for turning them down or a bitch for ignoring them. This only happens until, as women, we call men out and remind them that women exercise the same amount of free choice as they do. Women, as a gender, can choose who we sleep with.
Of course, this message discusses not all men, but the men who feel sexually entitled to sleep with women and to criticize women for not feeling sexually attracted, etc. Not all men fit this stereotype, but for the ones that do, women perpetuate their sexism by not calling out men who call women sluts and whores and bimbos, etc. We must remain ready to empower women not only when they are looking, but also when they are unaware of our actions.
It is different to say "go, girl!" to a girl than to say that when she turns away. Right now, some of us, even feminists with the best-intentions, will agree with men who sexually criticize women as a way to further our own romantic agendas.
This should make us wonder what others say behind our backs.
