“I was like –‘am I gay, am I straight?’ And then I realized…I’m just slutty. Where’s my parade?” –Margaret Cho, actress and comedian.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word slut? Maybe it is the girl in high school who slept with all your best guy friends but never got asked to prom. Maybe it’s a hyper-crossbreed between Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton. Maybe you think of yourself. Regardless, the word “slut” leaves everyone with a bad taste in his or her mouth—unless it’s Halloween.

There has been much debate orbiting the concept of “appropriate” costumes for young women when it comes to Halloween. Some argue that the social pressure for women to dress themselves in promiscuous rags originates from patriarchy’s rule book; that this expectation alone ultimately lowers the standards of respect that women should hold for themselves. Others argue that the direct inverse relationship between seasonal weather conditions and square footage of clothing is impractical and ultimately ridiculous. However, most people just think that being a slutty firewoman is an easy and unimaginative way for a girl to show off just how hot she really is. And my question is, so what? If any guy with a killer body dressed up as a slutty fireman, the automatic reaction would be laughter—he is either supposed to be a stripper or a sexy calendar month. Pressure to dress in a certain way for Halloween is not exclusively felt by women – there are only differing manifestations of gender expectations. Women and men should dress to empower themselves and show off their bodies through whatever costume they choose. Halloween is the beginning of a subversive sexual revolution.

Sexy Halloween costumes are a means to self-exploration and sexual empowerment.

We know Halloween as the one night a year when girls can dress like sluts without negative social consequences. Really, every day should be “the day” that girls can dress how they please without facing the inevitable judgment. Sadly, there is rarely a single day when women are not judged and demoralized for wearing any kind of revealing outfits outside of the house. In fact, Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto police officer, summed up this societal attitude when he so kindly suggested that if women want to remain safe, they should avoid dressing like sluts. This was spoken at a crime prevention safety forum at York University last April. His ugly words sparked a counter-movement, which spread across the globe, known as SlutWalks, where hoards of protesters rally in public space all while scantily clad. The movement argues that women should not have to constantly censor the way they dress in order to protect themselves from dangerous men. Instead, we should be attacking the framework of patriarchy that influences and perpetuates this “slut-shaming.” A woman, just as a man, should have the right to sleep with whomever she wants and whenever she wants without fearing emotionally destructive repercussions from society. Similarly, any woman should have the right to choose exactly how she wants to dress without the constant fear of being attacked. Everyone dresses certain ways for their own reasons and revealing clothing should be no exception.

Halloween is the perfect opportunity for us all to take part in the message of the SlutWalk movement. Wearing risqué costumes does not have to fall under the gaze of oppressive patriarchal objectifications of bodies. Rather, we can manipulate the message that our appearance sends. Ladies (and guys), this Halloween, let’s proudly adorn ourselves in as little or as much as possible – it’s not about pleasing anyone else. It’s about making a statement to the Constable Sanguinettis of our society and letting them know that when we march out for parties and do the monster mash, it is a firm stance against patriarchy.

If you aren’t persuaded by this feminist call to bare arms, consider Halloween as a gentler opportunity to escape social ridicule while trying out different expressions of your body and sexuality. Long ago we traded in our Trick or Treat bags for the excuse to party at our college campuses. Along with this came the social pressures—to drink, dance hook-up, and wear certain clothes—that are basically unavoidable. We begin to experience the ones associated with Halloween once the October wind starts blowing and the shots start rolling. Despite the sexist undertones to these pressures discussed above, there is ground within these coercive social norms for really beautiful moments of character development and discovery for all genders. Although these constraining social pressures might make some feel uncomfortable; all it takes is a lighthearted attitude, an instinct to survive, or a curiosity to experiment. This willingness is necessary for human survival and personal growth—just ask Darwin. Social pressures act as a right of passage from childhood into adulthood as kids learn who they are and which social norms they want to partake in. This process of natural selection helps each individual fall into his or her own specific niche.

Halloween can be a night of escape, a night where sexual power is reclaimed by costumed SlutWalkers, or something in between. So if a woman or a man wants to show off their assets in any way, we should all ask, so what?