Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency campaign, his wife Melania Trump and her past career as a model has been the target of slut-shaming and misogynistic comments from both press and social media. Now that she is expected to assume the role of First Lady of the United States, media have drawn attention back to her photo shoots.
Melania has posed nude for several magazines including GQ and Max. These photos were picked up by national newspapers such as the New York Post and placed on the front cover with headlines such as “The Ogle Office: You’ve never seen a potential First Lady like this!” and “Menage a Trump.” In a Washington Post article, fashion critic Robin Givan refers to Melania as a “professional pretty person.”
People on Twitter began to compare photos of Melania and current First Lady Michelle Obama and point out the differences between the two, specifically their education. “They went from a Harvard graduate to a stripper” and “Melania attended Trump University while Michelle graduated from Harvard/Princeton. So what do you expect from that white bimbo” are just examples of the tweets that flooded Twitter after the election.
No matter what your political stance is or whether or not you like Donald Trump, these comments are intolerable. To call her a “stripper” or “bimbo” and other demeaning words reduces Melania to just her appearance. Yes, she will be the first First Lady to have posed nude, but this does not hinder her ability in any way.
The photos were taken before Melania married Donald Trump, more than 20 years ago, yet they are still being used against her. The misogynistic words aimed toward Melania can be damaging to young women who want to be proud of their bodies and embrace their sexuality. They may fear the public backlash that may happen. To tell women that they should not openly display their sexuality because they will be called “unclassy,” “slutty” and “attention whore” is unprogressive.
The nude photos are nothing for her to be ashamed of, and it definitely does not speak for her as the future First Lady. Whatever opinion or criticism you may have about Donald Trump, slut-shaming Melania is not a reasonable way to speak out about him.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.