It is amazing to me still just how much power the word "slut" holds for me now, in my fifties.

I gained the title "slut" in 7th grade, in a very similar story to the one told in Emily's diary. This was almost 40 years ago. The label stuck with me in my own head long after others stopped applying it to me. For a few years it was a self-fulfilling prophesy, but for the most part mine is a story of serial monogamy. However, I internalized the label, and although I went on to earn two university degrees, marry (28 years married) and have a family, the label has stuck with me in my psyche always. It eroded my self-esteem and I feel much of my life's energy has gone towards trying to prove to myself and others that I am not a slut. It is amazing to me still just how much power the word "slut" holds for me now, in my fifties. Or should I say, just how much power that word has robbed me of. It is a horrid word and it is a particularly dangerous weapon when wielded against a young girl who is just beginning to define herself to herself. The shame that it carries is enormous and the scars it leaves behind are deep and lasting. I hope this project helps some young women who are wounded by slut shaming. It is just a word, but it is a word that should be eradicated entirely from society. We have made progress in eliminating some racial slurs and we should do the same with this sexual slur. It is dehumanizing, degrading and damaging. Thank you for undertaking this project.