Feminist theory that conflates the “male gaze” with sin is a shameful denial of our evolutionary past. Instead of rejecting our sex appeal, it’s high time we bring sexy back.
I don’t know what planet feminists live on, but I was under the impression that reveling in the power of your sex appeal (rather than resenting and rejecting it) as a woman is actually quite empowering. Our species, like every other species with sexual dimorphism, evolved to have physical features that attract mates and encourage reproduction. (Sexual dimorphism is a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal, in addition to the difference between the sexual organs themselves. Some examples you might be familiar with are the male peacock’s colorful tail or the male lion’s mane.)
In this sense, we’re perfectly designed to reign in femininity in our own unique ways and actually feel a true sense of self-love instead of the toxic self-loathing that comes with “dismantling” the male gaze. And yes, you may not believe in a higher power, so when you hear the term “design” I could understand why you may feel I’m misconstruing the term’s meaning. This interpretation may not vibe well with your own worldview, since “design” does imply some level of intentionality, but regardless of how you feel about how humankind ended up where we are now, I’d bet that you at least agree with the basic principles of evolution.
If there are these 3rd wave nut jobs in your country, date exclusively out-of-country. Let them just go extinct.