Living in residence, I’ve heard quite a few rumours throughout the school year regarding who is sleeping with who and the hook-ups at the latest party. Normally I’d ignore these stories and move on to more important things such as my dinner plans for the night, but I couldn’t help but be bothered by a few things. Girls who sleep around are generally referred to as “sluts,” “whores” and “loose,” whereas men who have the same reputation have much tamer nicknames such as “player” or “pimp.”

While double standards regarding men and women are nothing new in society, I thought we were at a time where sexuality could be considered equal between genders. Gone are the days where a woman’s number one priority in life was to be chaste until marriage. Marriage in general is no longer a social necessity as it once was. With divorce rates skyrocketing, society today seems to be moving toward an age where exploration in sex and relationships isn’t nearly as taboo as it once was.

So why is it that this lifestyle is still more of a no-no for women than for men? In a day and age where women are doing more in the world than ever before, are we still to believe that they have to fall into the old fashioned tradition of being ‘ladylike’? Since when is being able to choose who you want to share your body with a horrendous act? I think that we should embrace a society where safe sex is promoted and accepted as long as both genders are respected equally.

Of course, not all men who have a wide variety of sexual partners are golden in society’s eyes. Men get their fair share of flak for not having a monogamist lifestyle, but it seems that it’s outshone by the amount of discrimination that women receive.

Although it’s not my personal lifestyle, I firmly believe that a young woman should be able to have sexual relations with whoever she chooses without harsh labels like “slut.” Hell, go ahead and call her a slut if you want – but make sure that the title is shared with any promiscuous men.