le-fin-absolue-du-monde:

i-love-word-association-games:

brainfuzz:

i-love-word-association-games:

Can we please stop the White Feminist™ idea that naked = empowered?

Because I had to watch the Muslim girl in my history class lucture the class on Islam’s treatment of women and why she wears her hijab to feel closer to god, because some new girl in our class tried to coerce her into taking it off, and then proceeded to try to take it off her.

I made sure she was alright after class and she told me she’s used to it. I. Got. Pissed. Because this sweet girl is used to other people trying to rip her hijab off. I’m not Muslim, but from what I understand, that’s like being used to people trying to rip your shirt off of you.

Also, this idea doesn’t just threaten and offend Muslim women and girls. Because a lot of women and afab people don’t like being naked. It’s not empowering to them, it’s demeaning. For example, I don’t like being naked, because I just don’t feel comfortable with it. But still, my family still forces me to wear bikinis to the beach and thinks I’m self conscious just because I don’t want to wear the least amount of clothes possible.

So, in summary:

Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

• Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

1. Destroy the White Feminist™ idea that Naked = Empowered

Female empowerment is the ability to chose to behave or dress as you wish.  Hard stop. If you, personally, feel empowered by walking around in public topless, more power to you.  However, if someone else is choosing to be covered from head to toe because that makes them feel empowered, then back the fuck off.  

The power is in the choice, not in the result.

I know I’m the OP but I wanted to reblog for this excellent addition.

Can we go further and stop using the word ‘empowered’ to mean a feel-good emotion? ‘Feeling empowered’ doesn’t mean a whole lot if you’re not actually being empowered to do something.

You can safely assume that if an activity is described as “empowering,” no one in any actual position of authority will be going anywhere near it. Creating a Tumblr of photos of your bikini body journey? Empowering! Yet we are unlikely to ever hear the President gushing: “I’m finding these nuclear launch codes so empowering.”