Reclaiming Slut!

My first year of college, Carol Leigh (aka Scarlot Harlot) came to speak at the student-run coffeeshop at my school. She was talking about sex workers' rights, which is something I never heard about in high school at all. I figured this was an experience not to be missed. Carol got up on the stage and warmed up the crowd: "Can I hear the women in the crowd?" "WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!", etc. Then she said (in that same cheery voice), "Are there any SLUTS in the crowd??" ...awkward silence.

Several years later, I have come to a much more complete and positive understanding of the term "slut," but at the time, I (and apparently my classmates) just were not comfortable with that term being thrown around. As young women especially, I think the word "slut" is often used to keep us in our place. Whether it's older people cautioning us about the potential consequences of our actions ("No one wants to marry the town slut") or people our own age judging our sexual choices ("Omg, she's such a slut!"), we constantly get these messages that being a slut is a bad thing, and you don't want to be called that. Given those prevalent cultural messages, of course we weren't willing to publicly identify as sluts.

But let's examine that for a second. What does being a slut mean? A woman who is sexually active with multiple partners? I identify with that. A woman who doesn't shame herself about her sexual choices? I identify with that too. A woman who enjoys having sex? I totally identify with that! The whole negative connotation behind the word "slut," as far as I can tell, is based in antiquated ideas of gender roles which say that women shouldn't want sex and should only submit to men's (ideally their husband's) desires.

Well, I'm sorry "antiquated ideas of gender roles," but I like sex. I think it's great and empowering and fun and sexy and exciting, and I'm going to have it when I want, with whom I want, without feeling shame about it. And if that means I'm a slut, then you'd better believe I'm going to embrace that term for all it's worth. So yes Carol Leigh, there is at least one loud and proud slut in the house, and she's so sorry she didn't speak up all those years ago!