Dear Editor,

I am writing to applaud and agree with the opinion of columnist Valeria Torrealba in her article, “Women can talk about sex, too.” Torrealba talks about the new song that Meg the Stallion and Cardi B released and its ‘controversial’ lyrics that have sparked a flame within many conservative identities. She states that women should not be discriminated against for speaking out about their sexual encounters and body positivity, especially in an industry where men can write about all the same things and be praised while Cardi B and Meg the Stallion are called “vulgar” and “raunchy.” My first reason supporting this contention is as follows: Making sex a taboo subject for women is a form of internalized misogyny because only calling sex talk taboo when women are talking about it—and not when men are—is misogynistic.

My second reason supporting the contention is that making sex talk taboo for women also contributes to the (expletive) complex our society has in regards to women and their sex lives. The (expletive) complex is the idea that sex is an innately degrading thing that men do to women that gives men power over them. Overall, contributing to the stigma around women and sex allows society to see women as objects that depreciate in value as their number of sexual partners increases. No one should be viewed as an object, nor does anyone’s value depend on their sexual history, regardless of gender.

Best,

Tia Shore