by Jamin Shih
To be honest, slut shaming is not a topic that I fully understand, and despite my interest and research into it recently I still do not feel knowledgeable enough to confidently write about it. Nonetheless, I find the topic to be very interesting, but more than that I enjoy reading debates about the topic to see the general points of both sides of what could still be considered quite a contentious issue. To the best of my understanding, slut shaming is the act of referring to female sexual expression as a negative thing [hence names such as 'slut' or 'whore']. It also involves the double standard of sexual expression. Whereas men who participate in casual sex may be celebrated by other parties [called a 'pimp' or congratulated], women who do the same are labeled more negative names.
This is not to say that opponents of slut shaming are advocating for unprotected or dangerous sex, it is to say that a person's sexual life is their own business and as long as all parties involved are honest, safe, and consenting then it should not be a problem.
The idea of slut shaming may also have to do with American society's obsession with female virginity, as compared to male's. Female virginity is pure and sacred, whereas society almost "gives up" on male sexuality under the pretense that it is inevitable that males will have sex. This is reinforced by telling young girls that "boys only want one thing" as well as the pervading notion that all males are willing at any time to have sex [this leads to the notion that male homosexuals are extremely promiscuous and also the shaming of male virgins as non-masculine, to some extent].
Slut Shaming also presumably reinforces rape culture, because girls that can be labeled "sluts" are "asking for it" by their style of dress or reputation for casual sex [whether or not their reputation is true]. It has also spurred on the idea of SlutWalk in cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Toronto as sites of active protest against the idea.
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