Singer Elle Varner caused a firestorm on Twitter Thursday after posting (then deleting) an Instagram post about what she believes young women in school should ascribe to…
She echoed similar sentiments on Twitter.
Much of the reaction to her anti-feminist rant was a smooth “I don’t know her”.
Nevertheless, her Erkyah Badu-like rant engaged both Shea Butter Twitter and Hotep Twitter.
This the same girl who performed in a camisole and leggings… pic.twitter.com/sZm5TezwsD
— ✨ (@phoneticjasmine) June 9, 2016
Well… I knew Elle Varner wasn’t trending because of her music so… Anyways pic.twitter.com/rDIqBTiySK
— ANTI (@HIFTBABG) June 10, 2016
The desire to tell women what they can and cannot wear in the hopes of coercing men not to rape them is rape culture. What Varner seems to not understand is the severity of her words. She is not fighting to stop ‘ho culture.’ She is policing young girls bodies.
From a young age, girls are taught to dress and walk a certain way to aspire to be a certain type of woman and to prevent boys from doing awful things. But why are they being taught to live up to a certain type of woman that some men deem acceptable? Why aren’t girls taught to be who they are and not give a f*%$ what anyone has to say about it?
Varner’s rant is problematic because it overlooks rapists of all genders.
Instead of teaching girls and boys to aspire to their best selves, her rhetoric is forcing them to abide by gender roles. She is teaching boys toxic masculinity and girls how to be a woman. Why are these boys who are so easily distracted by a girl wearing a bra (something most women wear) not taught to focus on school? Why is Varner perpetuating a culture that teaches women not to get raped instead of teaching boys not to rape?
Short skirts and bra straps don’t rape. Rapists rape.
Brock Turner’s father says his son has paid a steep price for ’20 min of action’…that caused a lifetime of damage for this victim.
— Molly Qerim (@MollyQerim) June 10, 2016
Her rant comes days after rapist Brock Turner’s already incredibly short sentence was shortened by another 3 months. Rapist Turner’s trial brings to the forefront the benefits of being both white and male in a court of law. Turner grew up under a system that told girls what to wear instead of teaching boys to not do awful things.
While Varner’s rant may seem harmless, it is dangerous. She is teaching young girls around the world to get used to other people policing what they can and cannot do.
