Political Debates discussion

this is not specifically a political debate, but more of a religous one. should women be required to dress modestly? why or why not?

discuss!

I think clothing is self expression. it shows confidence to dress the way your religion dictates with long skirts or hijab etc. and be proud of your faith, but also it takes confidence to flaunt your body and be proud of yourself. short shorts and crop tops aren’t HARMING anyone, so why can’t we get over the fact that some people just enjoy showing off their legs or stomachs or whatever? as long as nothing inappropriate is on show like nipples, let them dress how they want!

i definitely agree. the way you dress should be a choice. if a person wants to be modest, then they should dress modest. if a person wants to wear small or tight clothes, then they should do what they want.

i feel as if as a women i should be able to dress how i want to without being slutshamed. everyone should be able to dress how they want regardless. like in school girls cant wear tank tops even on the hottest of days because its 'too distarteing' maybe you should teach the males to keep it in their pants instead of making the girls change and teach guys its okay to shame them on what to wear.

exactly. and plus, if it’s attracting male attention, stop the problem at the root: the GODDAMN BOYS

Alan wrote: "For everyone, I have a book recommendation that fits nicely into this theme: snow by Orhan Pamuk. Find out yourselves why :)"

thank you!

Em J. wrote: "And people say that boys are just born gross. Is it really that, or is it because they grow up thinking they're "stronger" and are the "bosses"? If we educated boys from a young age on how genders ..."

EXACTLY!

As in all things, there are plenty of areas that there are reasons for modesty, but not everyplace. One of the bigger questions is who's modesty and how do you define modesty. Your modesty might not be mine.

It's infuriating when women are told to wear specific articles of clothing just so they aren't sexualized by a male audience or anyone else. I understand some people may say it's for safety, but we have to understand that women are not objects. They're humans, just like anyone else, and they shouldn't be objectified or sexualized because of their appearance. We just have to do better as a society.

yeah, that's why this is so difficult. It's not my fault if I'm sexualized, but does that mean I have to wear "modest" clothing? Or should I just live care free and not give a fuck if someone sexualizes me and my life is in danger because of that? as I said before, we just gotta do better as a society.

Modesty isn't only for women.

In a religious sense, modesty is about respecting your body and its Creator. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what that means. It should have nothing to do with how creeps react. We shouldn't be teaching teen girls it's their fault how boys react to them.

I had to change my profile picture from a mug shot to a wedding picture to stop creeps from messaging me. So there is wisdom in not dressing like a prostitute, but "she was asking for it" is never ever acceptable.

Women, or anyone in general should be able to dress however they like, but they should mentally prepare for whatever backlash they will potentially receive. This doesn’t just apply in a religious perspective- fat positivity, LGBTQ+, and many other demographics face this controversy.

Personally, this is me being completely honest with myself whether I like it or not- I’m more likely to internally respect a well-dressed, modest woman, but that may not be intentional. Theoretically, I’d like to hold every human being to the same esteem, but unfortunately at that point it’s somewhat of an subconscious decision.

Agreed. But I also think there's a difference in dressing according to the weather and showing some idriff and leg to dressing like a flat-out....uh, for lack of better word- courtesan.
But unfortunately, the sad truth is that, like y'all touched on, most of the time it doesn't matter what we dress like. Some men will always be a creep- whether you're wearing a hazmat suit or a bikini.

Again, I will reiterate. Wear whatever you want, chances are I won't really care since it doesn't affect me. But don't be insulted when other people comment on your appearance. Sure, they may be wrong and insensitive and rude and slut-shamers and overstepping their boundaries, but psychologically, is there anything you can do to change the way a stranger thinks? Chances are, no. You cannot.
So if you're going to dress "immodestly," don't expect everyone to treat you like a well-baked Prussian chicken in a pristine white crinoline.

But like all these clothes made these days t..."

dale wrote: "i think women should be able to dress however it makes them happy! if you like modesty, sounds great- just be accepting of what others wear and don't sl*t shame! if men can walk around without a to..."

Em J. wrote: "Yeah, I believe dress codes at schools are super unfair. If girls aren't allowed to wear tank-tops then boys shouldn't be able to either."

Agreed!!

I feel that women should be able to wear whatever they want. Every woman is different, and clothing helps expresses that

Em J. wrote: "I politely disagree. I think there is a place and time for everything. I am totally fine with people, not just girls, not just boys, wearing whatever they want to parties or friends houses or priva..."

i feel thats a very valid point. in my opinion, there should be restriction on modesty for ALL genders in specific places.

ex.

at the beach, on a run, friends party, friends house ; wear whatever you want

in a store, restaurant, or generally in public ; you dont have to be covered head to toe, but be mindful of the people around you

but i do have an issue with a girl showing her shoulders and then being asked to cover up because its "too distracting"

Agreed- there are certain degrees of modesty. Wearing a bikini to an upscale restaurant is just blatantly inappropriate. Same goes for men- do you really think it's the best idea to wear your Speedos to church?

Like everything else, there is a time and place for how you dress.
And of course, the examples above were extremely exaggerated.

Personally, I like to dress modestly because I'm extremely insecure.

But I don't have a say in how other people dress. There's a place and a time, yes, but saying the woman "asked for it" because of the way she dresses is completely unacceptable.

Sofia wrote: "Personally, I like to dress modestly because I'm extremely insecure.

But I don't have a say in how other people dress. There's a place and a time, yes, but saying the woman "asked for it" because ..."

Sameee
also there is nothing wrong with girls wearing boys clothes. If I want to wear a boys hoodie and sweats than thats what i'll do.

Fiona wrote: "Same the other way around. If a boy wants to wear a dress or a skirt I don't see a problem"

yep

Em J. wrote: "BringerOfBooks wrote: "I feel that women should be able to wear whatever they want. Every woman is different, and clothing helps expresses that"

Well do you think the same for other genders?"
Absolutely. Guys should be able to wear whatever the hell they want and so should girls. I literally dont see how what im wearing affects you. does it hurt YOU? and same for boy wearing crop tops or dresses. they should be able to wear it, and i dont see why people have to comment on it as it is NOT their body

would anyone ever wear their underwear in public though? and yes, though i dont see the reason, im not going to control other people's bodies, and what they choose to wear on their bodies

honestly? if someone in their underwear did bump into me, i would be uncomfortable too. common sense says not to do that, and most people (i think) wont actually wear their underwear in public. i just think that restricting what a woman or man wears is not right.

Em J. wrote: "Yeah, I mean this is all hypothetical. But there are some clothes people do wear nowadays that I just think aren’t for every place. Like I said earlier, I truly don’t care what the heck anyone wear..."
Fair enough, :)
it just makes me uncomfortable when others try to control or limit others. but common sense is a big part in modesty. if you are going to a job interview, you should probably try to look professional instead of wearing underwear. so while you should be able to wear whatever the hell you want, and not be shamed or bullied for it, there are certain places to wear certain things. you have a solid point

as far as the underwear thing first of if you're in a restaurant or grocery store they have the right to kick you out for 'public nudity' and most people know not to wear underwear out in public because you can get arrested for that

if someone gets kicked out for breaking a dress code, which is reasonable and clearly displayed, then why on earth would that be a bad thing? I believe that we shouldn’t limit others modesty but if someone straight up breaks a dress code then it’s fair to make them face consequences.

I think requiring something like that is nonsense... but that doesn't mean I don't think it should be encouraged.
I don't feel forced to do anything because of my religion... but I choose to dress modestly because it makes me feel better... and its a decision I make every day.

But I don't think anyone should be looked down upon for wearing what they are going to wear... unless they are doing something super inappropriate like wearing a transparent outfit to a kindergarten class.

*This should apply equally to all genders

yes you explained it perfectly!