Dear Liberals, Feminists, and Assorted Allies: Stop Slut-Shaming Melania Trump

Too many supposed good progressive feminist-friendly people lately have been gleefully sharing memes that slut-shame Melania Trump. See, she posed for nude photos! She doesn’t have class, like all the other First Ladies!

Bullshit.

CN: slut-shaming, Trump, mentions of marital rape

There’s plenty to criticize her about: things like her plagiarism, for instance, or things she says in support of her husband. I’m sure you can find something to criticize her for without digging out her nude photos and bleating that other first ladies were too classy for that.

When you pull that shit, you’re telling my womanly self that you are not a safe person. That you will enable rape culture when it gives you a fun way to attack a woman you don’t like. That you’re down with shitting on sex workers if they rise above what you consider to be their station. That the only real problem you have with the right-wing attacks on immodest women is that they’re attacking the wrong women in your opinion. That you’re fine with using gendered attacks as long as you’re sniping at women on the other side.

You’re telling me you’re fine with attacking women who are married to men who probably only value them for their looks and their submissive behavior. You’re telling me you have no problem shaming someone who could very well be a victim of marital rape. You’re telling me that the thing that matters most to you is not who a woman is, but whether she’s ever posed unclothed. You’re telling me you believe women who decide to be photographed nude are rendered worthless by that decision, no matter why they made it.

You’re telling me you’re not safe. You’re saying I can’t trust you to have our backs.

You may not mean to say that. But you know that intent isn’t magic.

If you can’t be better than that, you’re not the champion of women’s rights to equality and dignity that you think you are. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman doing it: you’re hurting women, and you need to stop.

And before you start whining about bu-bu-but REPUBLICAN HYPOCRISY, read this. Because that’s what you’re doing: splash damage. When you snipe at Melania for the choices she’s made about her body, even if you think you’re just taking a swipe at family values hypocrites, you’re hurting us all.

Stop. It. Now.

Image is a dark purple background with pink lettering that says, "End Slut Shaming."

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Dear Liberals, Feminists, and Assorted Allies: Stop Slut-Shaming Melania Trump
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