Who exactly is the ‘slut’? We’re all familiar with the girls who put on boob hugging, bum hugging, see-through dresses and go out to clubs on the hunt for a male. The first of which, upon sighting, she will open her legs and various orifices to. She is to be seen on mass on any given evening in Leeds city centre.But does this caricature actually apply to all those that we put it on? Does it apply to the girl who has too much sex, or even the girl who has just pulled? How often have you heard the words: ‘She got off with five guys last night’ or ‘She’s slept with three people since Freshers already’ followed by ‘ugh what a slut’ by all of the surrounding party?

This culture of sexual discrimination is a bit strange. In the last century we’ve tried our damnedest to tackle discrimination; race, gender, and sexual orientation. Do we only have a certain amount of acceptance to spread? All our equality laws seem to point to a society of non discrimination against who we are, but what about who we choose to be? We live in a culture of casual sex, so why do we seem so against it?

The idea that an insult can be purely based on how sexual someone is seems ridiculous. Is it a bad thing to be sexual? Maybe somewhere lurking in our subconscious is the supposedly redundant idea that sex is sin. Maybe said subconscious tells us that in a society that has sex, we must at least put it within parameters. If we really believed sex is the fun, healthy, exciting thing it can be between two (three?) consenting adults, would we look down on anyone for having it too often with too many people?

Another cause for concern: the mind-blowing sexism that surrounds the world ‘slut’. How feminist are we really being when we tell girls to put some clothes on? I don’t personally agree with the skimpy style of dress, but it’s not my life or my body.  In criticising someone, are we playing for the empowerment team or just undermining the personal wishes of individual women? Is this just sexism against women, operated by women? Girls have to stop talking about each other and ourselves like we’re sluts, because we’re not. We’re all sexual beings to a lesser or more extent, and much more besides.

So, if you think women should be able to dress, have sex and be how they want, and if you’d like to have sex, dress, and be how you want, the next time someone says ‘what a slut’, try saying ‘nah, she’s just doing what she wants’. Of course, if someone sleeps with your boyfriend, call her a b****, and cry into a tub of ice cream, but for god’s sake, let the ladies get laid in peace.