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UNCOVERING MISOGYNY AND SLUT-SHAMING IN LOCKER ROOMS Dissection of locker room talk at Tino
LISA ZIVANIC writer
24 | DESIGNED BY ARUSHI ARORA
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aves of students came out about their experiences with sexual violence and harassment on Cupertino High School’s campus last semester. More CHS students have voiced their concerns with the athletics department, questioning the extent that locker room talk is a problem. People believe that what students talk about in locker rooms are often inappropriate, and sometimes sexual language is discussed in these male-only spaces. However, our school is notorious for its competitive and academically-focused students, which directly contradicts the norm of a stereotypical American high school depicted in the media. So the question stands: how prevalent is locker room talk at Cupertino High School? Male Athletes An anonymous junior varsity football player at Cupertino High School shared, “Definitely, I think some people do [objectify women]. I think some
of the guys can be [objectifying].” He observed that “in general [other players will] go on the internet or social media, and they’ll see people and they’ll probably [be] like, ‘Oh, look at this person, look at their body’ or this and that. Sometimes they will do that. Although, in general, I will say that I don’t think it’d be body shaming or sexism.” They explained that although the objectification of women is a prevalent issue within the team, players have not been blatantly misogynistic or judgemental towards these women and their appearances. Akash Rao, a freshman on the water polo team, said, “I think it’s definitely true. [...] I do understand why it comes up, but I think that it is rumored to be a lot more prevalent than it actually is.” Jason Li, a senior on the varsity water polo team, shared similar experiences. “In the past when I was a freshman or sophomore, I feel like in those times, when I said something, I just got laughed at or made fun of. So I think right now, the upperclassmen, we’re kind of taking the effort to make sure that underclassmen feel includ-
ed, but I definitely understand if some underclassmen might not feel able to speak up, either because they’re kind of afraid of it or because of other reasons.” Li contrasted his past experiences with the present when acknowledging the social hierarchy that exists regarding respect on the team. He explained that when he previously tried to speak up against objectifying behavior towards women, he wasn’t taken seriously. Which he believes may have caused less teammates to support him when the topic was brought up. Now in a higher ranked position, he and the other team members have been taking initiative to help ensure that underclassmen feel comfortable speaking up to avoid the discomfort he encountered. Female Athletes Two students added their unique experiences with misogyny and slut-shaming as girls on the football team. There is often a negative connotation with football in regards to feminism as it has historically been a male-dominated sport. One exception is Anika Tiku, a senior on the var-
