From salwars to skirts

Dear Brendan,

You may respond by saying that because I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt while writing this, you won't be able to take me seriously. That the fewer clothes I wear, the less of a woman I become.

It is clear from your twisted descriptions of femininity that according to you, womanhood is solely derived from our bodies. And yet, you seem vaguely concerned with my 'virtue' and my 'character.' Your inability to see these traits regardless of what I wear suggests you believe otherwise.

As much as this may seem an issue for you, let me assure you that this is more dangerous and more tragic than a mere 'issue.'

Brendan, if I were raped on this campus and decided to pursue legal action, my clothing could not count against me.

In India, where I usually spend my summers, victims of sexual violence are treated like criminals themselves. The length of their salwars are more reprehensible than the criminal act itself. I would like to think that at Richmond, I do not have to worry about these things.

That I may freely walk back to my room in whichever clothes I choose to wear without fear of assault. But then I read letters like yours and am reminded once again that women in general are not so safe after all. Because should something happen to me, I will first have to defend my worth as a human being based on the length of my skirt.

Brendan, I suggest that you seriously consider the consequences of valuing women based on the amount of clothing they wear.

In a world of both men and women, how do you expect to interact with women who do not meet your chaste standards or those who do not share these views?

Will you treat them as lesser women or men? Have you considered that perhaps some women wear what they do to satisfy no one but themselves? And that not all women fit your rather interesting mold of skin-tight-clothing-wearing "divas" out for "instant gratification" with all the "bad boys."

Brendan, take another look around you. You might be surprised to find that women are much, much more than their bodies and the clothes they wear.