So this Sunday is the inaugural “Wear Pants to Church Day.”
The event, organized by a group of Mormon feminists, encourages Mormon women the world over to wear pants to church this Sunday in protest of the of the cultural myth that there is something wrong with women wearing pants to church. They believe this myth is perpetuated “by the cultural, structural, doctrinal inequality that persists in the LDS church today stems from the church’s reliance on – and enforcement of – rigid gender roles that bear no relationship to reality.” Their words not mine–hence the quotations. The event has over 1300 RSVPs on their facebook invite and even got a mention in Jezebel:http://jezebel.com/5967794/mormon-feminists-under-fire-for-encouraging-women-to-wear-pants-to-church. Granted I could care less about what people wear to church—just show up–but I thought I’d take this opportunity to state why I will not be joining in on the trouser wearing fun.
Before I launch into why I’ll be wearing a skirt on Sunday (besides the fact that skirts are my self imposed uniform, which is reinforced by the fact that I have the legs to pull them off)–let me state that the LDS Church does in no way devalue women, nor does it encourage inequality between the sexes. While we are taught that men and women are different, we are taught that we are equal partners.
So unto the choice to wear a skirt— Well, while I totally consider myself a Mormon Feminist, something about an organized protest during sacrament meeting just doesn’t sit well with me–I’m there to commune with God and interact with people who want to do the same not make political statements— I also don’t think that the best way to show that men and women are equal is for women to behave and dress like men—but that’s just me.
Don’t get me wrong, I agree that our church’s emphasis on gender roles creates room for church members to perpetuate inequalites. Listen, in undergrad I sat through a talk where some jokester stated from the pulpit that women pursuing anything beyond a college education was not what the good Lord had in mind, and then stated that the women at my alma mater may not agree with this opinion ( he was right we don’t agree with his opinion, neither do the leaders of the church, and pretty sure God expresses the same sentiments throughout the scriptures, but no big deal). So trust me I get it–I’m right there with you in the trenches with you fighting against misinterpretations and foolish musings about how boys and girls should behave but I think there are more effective ways to do so outside of rallying women to wear pants to church.
I think empowering women to be aware of their worth and to maximize there potential is the best way to combat these inequalities. For example you could get involved with the Young Women of your ward/stake and offer to host events about the importance of a college education. You can offer to teach a class on fiscal responsibility. Heck you can even step-up and be someone’s mentor. I’ve benefitted substantially from the latter. I’ve been blessed with church members, men and women alike, stepping in and offering advice on how to live my best life , ranging from how to land a full time offer during a finance internship, to coaching me through the MBA application process, to tips on how to best prepare for a life as a working mother . By empowering women to maximize their potential they will be better equipped to recognize and fight against the sexism they may encounter.
So what about the men, ehh? I say call them on their nonsense and make them eat their words. Or in other words, when you see them perpetuating sexist behavior voice your dissatisfaction and then prove them wrong. Granted, both men and women are purveyors of sexism—so lets use this one as a catch all. If you’re not the confrontational type, just prove them wrong, show them that pursuing your interest in [insert non traditional female gender role here] doesn’t make you any less than a woman—show them. In the case of my encounter with that jokester from undergrad, I vowed that one day he would work for me. I believe he was getting a degree in the medical field–so all I need to do is land a job with great health benefits, make an appointment , and vengeance will be mine–I kid, I kid…Rather, I’ll be taking my own advice and participating in the examples I listed above, and I’ll do them while wearing a skirt.
thekdubquies 