The Desexualization of Women in Our Society

(I've decided to publish some of these old, unfinished posts today.  This one is obviously from the Olympics last year.)

Don't get me wrong, I love women, and I want each woman to have the freedom to do whatever she wants.  I love watching the Olympics, and seeing the power and beauty of women in sport - like a gymnast flying through the air and doing several flips and twists - and I like the fact that women can be anything they want professionally.  We are a much better people once we let go of the sexist prejudices that held women back.

With that being said, I also think that there are forces today which are trying to keep pushing women further into what they believe is empowerment, and by doing that seem to want women to discard their femininity, sensitivity, etc.

A person on a forum recently argued with me that femininity is a construct, and that no such thing really exists innately.  Perhaps this is true, and I can definitely understand why there are a lot of women who don't fit the mold of femininity.  Lesbians sometimes want to be more masculine and aggressive, tomboys just don't like dressing up and doing their nails, smart girls want to show their talents, businesswomen want to be successful.

I get it.  I mean, I'm in a dress and I have to hide it, so I definitely know what it feels like to not fit the mold.  What I'm talking about, though, is an effort by the aforementioned empowered women to tear down femininity because it doesn't fit their mold.

For example, the businesswoman who becomes a boss might be harder on a girl who dresses pretty for work and is more flirtatious.  She might make a rule to make her dress in a suit and be more like a man.

School uniforms are also becoming more unisex.  Girls in some schools wear basically the same thing that boys wear.  I guess it promotes equality, but kind of takes away the "Viva la difference" thing.  I remember my youth, dreaming about the girls in blouses and skirts.  I couldn't imagine doing the same thing about a girl in khakis and a thick polo shirt.  Do we really want to live in a world where women and men are the same in every way?