Photo: (Getty)
Why is Miley Cyrus being slut-shamed?
I've been thinking about that question ever since I saw this Instagram tweeted to Cyrus by E! Online's Ken Baker comparing Cyrus to Taylor Swift. The image claimed Cyrus is called a bitch or slut every day despite having been with the same guy for more than three years.
You see, it doesn't matter if Cyrus maintains a committed, monogamous relationship with one actor for a number of years. Because of the way she dresses -- so different from the image so carefully cultivated for her from her "Hannah Montana" days – she is perceived as someone who is engaging in "slutty" behavior.
Ladies and gents, this is slut-shaming at its finest.
But the thing that is really bothering me about the Miley Cyrus/Taylor Swift comparison is the fact that I'm left sitting here wondering why I'm supposed to shame Taylor Swift for being with "more than 13 guys for the past three years."
Photos: (Getty)
Does that mean, because these are two girls engaging in seemingly dissimilar behavior, that I have to choose one to deem a slut? It doesn't matter that Cyrus and Swift are at the top of their respective games, achieving crazy amounts of success; it only matters how Cyrus dresses and to whom T. Swift lends her scarf (spoiler: it was most likely Jake Gyllenhaal. But who cares?).
Well I'm not having any of it. To degrade someone for their sexuality is just a new name for an old game: bullying.
If you're as tired of this as I am, take note. Here are three ways you can combat slut-shaming:
+ Participate in a SlutWalk
Lace up your Converses, grab a poster and find the SlutWalk nearest you. Raise your voice to protest slut-shaming and victim-blaming.
+ Support orgs like A Thin Line
Learn tips on how to draw your line between digital abuse and use. It's not OK, and you don't have to put up with it.
+ Embrace campaigns like Love is Louder
Practice spreading the love -- online and off – and accepting others no matter how they dress or who they date. Find ways to show Love is Louder -- like expressing the motto on your hand in a photo.
If you're being slut-shamed or facing digital abuse and are dealing with stress because of it, find out how you can cope with resources from A Thin Line.
