diabola in musica

I admit: I am being immature.
This morning, I had a very long discussion with family after someone discovered a picture of me in this corset on Facebook. The conversation was civil, but we simply couldn’t see eye-to-eye. (I don’t think we even agreed to disagree.) We are too stubborn, and have too differing views on sartorial choices and expressions of sexuality for women. Though the discussion ended politely, my feathers were still ruffled. So today, when I post this picture of myself in a corset, I am raising an eyebrow at my family. Who are they to say what I can and cannot show to the world?
It is a bit immature.
Among the points family made were that women’ shouldn’t be valued solely on looks and sexuality. I don’t disagree. The implication, however, is that there is something wrong with expressing sexuality, that any allusion would diminish whatever value in my intellect and creativity. Instead, I should express my mind, not my body. I disagree. I say that I should do both.
There is nothing inherently wrong or inappropriate with celebrating beauty or sexuality. There is also nothing wrong with celebrating something awesome, like a mint green corset that looks great with an orange collar. What is wrong is overvaluing appearance and sexuality to the exclusion of other qualities. Sometimes I want to be recognized for my appearance. Other times I want to be recognized for my mind. I know I am so much more than one or the other. I am both. We can all be both.
Every time I post a picture of myself in a corset, I an raising my eyebrow at the world. — I admit: I am being immature.

This morning, I had a very long discussion with family after someone discovered a picture of me in this corset on Facebook. The conversation was civil, but we simply couldn’t see eye-to-eye. (I don’t think we even agreed to disagree.) We are too stubborn, and have too differing views on sartorial choices and expressions of sexuality for women. Though the discussion ended politely, my feathers were still ruffled. So today, when I post this picture of myself in a corset, I am raising an eyebrow at my family. Who are they to say what I can and cannot show to the world?

It is a bit immature.

Among the points family made were that women’ shouldn’t be valued solely on looks and sexuality. I don’t disagree. The implication, however, is that there is something wrong with expressing sexuality, that any allusion would diminish whatever value in my intellect and creativity. Instead, I should express my mind, not my body. I disagree. I say that I should do both.

There is nothing inherently wrong or inappropriate with celebrating beauty or sexuality. There is also nothing wrong with celebrating something awesome, *like a mint green corset that looks great with an orange collar*. What is wrong is overvaluing appearance and sexuality to the exclusion of other qualities. Sometimes I want to be recognized for my appearance. Other times I want to be recognized for my mind. I know I am so much more than one or the other. I am both. *We can all be both.*

Every time I post a picture of myself in a corset, I an raising my eyebrow at the world.

At The Dish, a reader reflects on the first gay first kiss:

Dan Savage wrote: “The growing civil equality of gays and lesbians—from marriage equality in Canada and New York to the end of DADT in the USA—is revealing a lot of things.” Among them, just how non-existent a threat it all was, he says. And I think in retrospect that THIS is what the right was most afraid of. Not that society as they knew if would crumble, or that God would damn everyone. But that things wouldn’t change at all. That their story about hellfire and damnation would be revealed for what it was: pure fiction. And that in large measure, their authority (moral or otherwise) would be diminished.

And it is.