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Let's talk about something that we never talk about: representation of women in the media and sex.

Here is one thing that we should agree on immediately: women are sexualized in the media. Women cannot breastfeed in public because the female breast is seen as sexual. Girls have far more dress codes in school and the workplace than boys do. Women often have to worry about what they wear and how they act in social situations that they don't give off the wrong vibes to people (read: men) that could potentially see their actions as sexual and force them into sexual relations. The way that women are portrayed in the media affects how people see women in day-to-day situations.

Here's another thing that we may not agree but need to reach common ground on: Sex education is a must in schools. I know that abstinence is great in theory -- (hey, I believe in it) -- but not everyone feels the same way about sex. Sex to some people is great and not equated with love. Sex to others is only to be experienced with someone that you love. Everyone is different, and no matter what they believe, nearly everyone that decides to have sex at any point in their life will need to have some sort of sexual education class. Condoms, birth control and STD awareness are not going to reinforce the idea that sex is okay with your teenagers. They already know sex is okay, but right now they don't know that chlamydia won't actually kill you and the birth control doesn't work while you take antibiotics. 

Hey I guess I did actually pay attention in my gender studies class this week.

catch you later,

Karleigh

“I flip ahead in the textbook. There's an interesting chapter about acid rain. Nothing about sex. We aren't scheduled to learn about that until eleventh grade.” // Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak