For many women, the word ‘slut’ is a harsh reminder of the shame associated with having a normal sex life—or the appearance of one.

Despite attempts to rid ourselves of harmful, derogatory terms, slut-shaming makes its way into university campuses, house parties, and club bathrooms. Some feminists have tried to reclaim the word ‘slut,’ in novels and on TV, but the negative connotation of the word, implying sexual promiscuity, still stings.

The sexual scapegoating of women and girls isn’t just a contemporary phenomenon, though the origins of the word ‘slut’ don’t align with our modern conception of it. The term originated with English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who used “sluttish” in the late 14^th century to describe an untidy man.

‘Slut’ quickly transformed into a term attributed to kitchen maids and ‘dirty’ women, and the sexual connotation quickly followed.

In 2015, author Lauren Holmes released her debut collection of short stories entitled The Slut and Other People. She attempts to reclaim the word by introducing narrators who match the contemporary definition of slutty, but who embrace their sexuality in a positive, almost rebellious manner.

When I heard about Holmes’ book, I felt unsettled. Not because I think subverting a derogatory word to be empowering is wrong, but because it seemed like a one-dimensional narrative that only benefits a certain kind of woman.

It’s important to understand the nuance of the term ‘Slut’ as it relates to racialized women, who often do not have the privilege of reclaiming a word for the sake of protest.

During the SlutWalk protests, which were meant to call for an end to rape culture, many Black academics and writers rejected the reclamation of ‘slut’ and the movement as a whole. Critics of SlutWalk argued that the movement was rooted in the white female experience without considering the intricacies of different racialized groups.

Rutgers professor Britney Cooper wrote, “to organize a movement around the reclamation of a term is in and of itself an act of white privilege.”

I understand Cooper’s point. Women of colour are simultaneously sexualized, fetishized, and discriminated against—it’s an uncomfortable web of racism that continues to impact women in 2021. We need to understand that different groups of women will have varying experiences of being hyper-sexualized, and the word slut can be a reminder of historical discrimination. 

For those who choose to reclaim the word ‘slut’ as an empowering term, I hope they find power in flipping the sexual double standard women face on its head. Seeing marginalized groups find strength in the words meant to cage them is always thrilling as a spectator.

Women, like men, should have the agency to claim their sexuality without repercussions. At the same time, it’s important to consider how the intricacies of race and positionality impact the art of reclaiming a word.

‘Slut’ won’t be an empowering word for all women, and that’s okay. When I hear the term, I still have a fight-or-flight response that catalyzes feelings of shame, guilt, and internalized misogyny.

In my next gossip session, I’ll take pride in my sexuality without uprooting a degrading term that makes me uncomfortable—I prefer the word ‘baddie,’ anyways.