A Letter: looking back on booties, International Women’s Day, reminders

Dear DC Twitter Community,

I couldn’t help but notice that you have managed to make #bootyappreciationday a trending topic (link: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23bootyappreciationday). This is fine- booties are nice, I guess- but while you are reveling in the beauty of the female anatomy, I would like to bring to your attention another holiday occurring today: International Women’s Day.

Now, I know that your heart is in the right place; you mean no harm by celebrating asses around the world, and at the end of the day, I’d rather have my butt appreciated than not appreciated. I am also very much aware of the fact that support from Twitter users does not an official holiday make, and that perhaps I am being petty, and am not choosing my battles as wisely as I could or should. As lilliputian of an issue as a trending topic may be, it is one that reflects cultural attitudes and instantly reveals the collective thinking of a group.

You see, it’s been a rough couple of months for women, specifically in the United States. These past few months have seen the mishandled sexual assault case and subsequent suicide of Lizzy Seeberg , the atrocious attempts of Congress to redefine rape, and the approval by the House of a bill that would eliminate all federal finding for Planned Parenthood. The message we are receiving time and time again is that our bodies are not our own; there is a blatant lack of respect for women and our control over our own physicality and sexuality.

However trivial it may be, one cannot deny the sting disappointment when people ignore International Women’s Day for Booty Appreciation Day; this emphasis of women’s bodies over their thoughts, intellect, and opinions is exactly the sort of mentality against which we have been fighting. It feels like a digital catcall.

International Women’s Day serves to celebrate the strength, ambition, and worth of women around the world, not their bodies. Twitter can be nothing more than a social networking outlet, but it can also be used to fuel activism, as we have seen with the #DearJohn campaign. Why not celebrate #consentappreciationday, or #reproductiverightsappreciationday, or smartambitiousfemaleappreciationday? Okay, that one is a little long, but you get the gist. The point is, if you respect women, you appreciate the whole woman, not just the curves behind her.

Sincerely,

@sarahhaack