The Double Standard: It Exists

As usual, we feel compelled to discuss topics of injustice in society. At Elite Daily, we place great emphasis on equality amongst a wide spectrum of social classifications–be it gender, sex, race, or sexual orientation.

Thus, we have decided to cover what we feel is a problematic social issue–one that promotes injustice and divisiveness. The social issue we are covering today is what we deem the “sexual double standard”. Men love it, and women hate it. Why?

This double standard has been promoting a hegemonic, male-dominated society for countless centuries. Our society enforces the idea that a man who sleeps around is to be glorified. Masculinity has come to be defined through male sexual prowess–as an abundance of women has been equated with success and power. On the contrary, a woman who ventures beyond the sexual conservatism expected of her is deemed a whore. She will be shunned, viewed as unclean, and her actions will be seen as reflective of an immoral character.

Our past has had an important role in the maintenance of this unfair double standard. Throughout history, there has been a persistent theme of female chastity. Chastity is defined as “the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion.” Nonetheless, chastity is only enforced as a form of male dominance over the female body. How many times have you seen a man receive the scorn faced by a “promiscuous” woman?

Prior to the feminist movement of the past century–resulting in an increased emphasis on the importance of the sexual liberation of women–men dominated all sexual discourse. Feminists began to assault this male hegemony through an emphasized push against problematic laws on rape.

Historically, rape has been more geared towards protecting women’s chastity than defending her control over her sexuality. It was about the restoration of property, not resolving the emotional distress the woman faced. Feminists actively combat this mindset, seeking to garner female sexual liberation rather than a restoration of chastity through rape law—which treats female chastity as property.

This problematic view on the female body has infected the minds of men and women around the globe. Consider the fact that there are 220 words that relate to sexual promiscuity applicable to women, and only 20 applicable to men. Out of the limited words applicable to men, none carry the level of shame inflicted by the terms for women. Due to our extensive history of gender inequality, we have a plethora of ways to subjugate women for engaging in the same activities we do.

When you ask a man why he views female sexual liberation as problematic, he, for the most part, cannot come with an answer that extends beyond claims of her being a whore. When you question why he glorifies his friends and other men who freely express their sexuality, he will express shock at your question. We’re supposed to do this, right? We’re the one’s who dominate sex, and thus we make the rules on what acceptable sexual behavior is. Nonetheless, it’s time for a thorough analysis of why we cling to this unfair sexual standard.

This double standard is reflected in a previously authored article , “Where have all the good girls gone?” It is a particularly scathing piece on female sexuality, that, upon reading, I felt compelled to argue against. The “good girl” referenced is creation of the male hegemony. Is the referenced woman not expected to have ownership of her sexuality, and body, that allows for its display at her discretion? Calling for women to be a “lady in the streets” is essentially asking a woman to keep her sexuality hidden and reveal it only for a male in the bedroom. Yet, we can see countless, flagrant displays of male sexuality in a variety of media platforms.

Chastity teaches girls, from a very young age, that their sexuality is not their own–but the property of their partner. It’s teaching her that her sexuality is shameful–to be hidden. The entire debate is based in the concept of sexual purity that seems to suggest that women are inherently pure, and men are inherently impure. It suggests that by freely engaging in sexual activity a woman is defiling herself. Yet, I find it problematic that we, as men, seem to be willing to wallow in this impurity we seem so proud of. We seem to hold that there’s nothing wrong with us for seeking this supposedly “impure” girl. Our views are unfair and unrealistic.

These views are a significant impediment to progress on our journey towards gender equality. Men “are allowed to engage in coitus for any reason” and “women only if in love or engaged”. (Tanenbaum)  However, female sexuality is not limited to a context of love. In fact, women possess a sex drive that can match our own. It is the expectation, embedded in her mind by society, that she remain sexually conservative that drives her to limit her experiences.  Women confident enough to grasp control of their sexuality are labeled “damaged goods” or “unfit for marriage”. This is rooted in the commoditization of female sexuality previously discussed.

Our views induce feelings of self-consciousness amongst women. Her desires must be curbed to prevent from being shunned and ostracized. This problem is difficult to solve because men and women from a young age adopt this double standard at a young age. Men and women alike promote the continuation of the standard by the pervasive use of the wide variety of shameful terms related to female promiscuity. Men created the standard, but women unconsciously keep it alive as well when they call each other sluts. It is up to our generation as a whole to remove these lingering vestiges of sexism.

Elite Daily