Christian Blogger Accused of Promoting 'Rape Culture' for Saying Women Wearing Leggings Cause Men to Lust After Them (Video)
A Christian blogger has been accused of promoting rape culture for a post she wrote about her decision to no longer wear leggings in public.
Oregon resident Veronica Partridge, 25, sparked a firestorm of criticism earlier this month when she suggested that women who wear leggings risk inadvertently tempting members of the opposite sex. She shared her own experience in a 500-word blog post and it immediately went viral on social networking sites.
In it, the married mother of one, who prides herself on having "your not-so-average Christian family," shared that she made the decision to stop wearing leggings in public after having an honest conversation with her husband, Dale.
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He admitted to her that it is "hard not to look" at other women in leggings. For her, his admission validated her realization that skin-tight stretch pants "may cause [men] to think lustful thoughts."
"Some people said that I was promoting rape culture, some were saying that it's not my problem to cover up my body because a man is always going to look," Partridge told Australia's news.com.au. "I completely understand that if a man wants to look at a woman, he's going to look no matter what. I have no control over that, but I don't want to make it easier … or to draw more attention to myself."
On Facebook, Partridge describes herself as a "city girl turned country girl" whose hobbies include homemaking and farming.
"Women today wearing leggings often can cause men to think of them sexually or lust after them," she told ABC's "GMA," with her husband adding, "Just wanted to be honest. … It's not the women's responsibility, but I appreciate the idea of a woman saying, 'Hey, like I'm actually going to try to cover myself up in a way that might help you not think of me sexually.'"
While supporters have praised Partridge for promoting modesty, her Facebook page has also been flooded with criticism from people who say that her post promotes gender stereotypes and sexism.
Partridge insisted that she's not trying to tell women how to dress. She said that her decision is personal and ultimately it is about "honoring God."
"I have been following the vow I made to myself for the past couple of weeks now and though it may be difficult to find an outfit at times, my conscience is clear and I feel I am honoring God and my husband in the way I dress," she wrote via her blog. "I also want to set the best example of how to dress for my daughter. I want her to know, her value is not in the way her body looks or how she dresses, but in the character and personality God has given her."
Partridge did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
