No matter where a woman goes or what she wears, people will try to sexualize her. There is of course, the camp that thinks women are asking to be harassed by men when they wear certain things or behave in certain ways. It's positively sickening, and it's even worse when it happens to a young girl.
One news anchor from Florida is sick of it and found himself taking on a slew of people who couldn't keep their comments to themselves about his daughters and what they chose to wear to homecoming.
Matt Austin, who anchors News 6 in Orlando, created a TikTok to clap back at the bullies, who thought they were entitled to comment on his parenting and his daughters' clothing choices, after he proudly shared a photo online of them dressed up for the occasion.
The photo was innocent.
Austin was proud of his daughters, so he posted a pic of them all dressed up for homecoming. He captioned the photo, "My daughters look a little too good on homecoming night. Believe it or not, they're even more beautiful on the inside."
He stood between the two girls, both dressed in typical homecoming dresses, just like all the other homecoming snaps we've all seen this year. Sure, dresses are a bit shorter and tighter than they may have been in the in past decades, but his daughters looked like everyone else stepping out this fall.
The dad and his daughters went viral.
Austin has 17,000 followers on Facebook, which is a pretty big reach. Naturally, people flocked to the comment section, as they always do, and the reactions were mixed. Some thought that the girls looked amazing.
"Stunning photo of dad and his two daughters. Have fun at homecoming ladies," one person wrote.
The haters came out in droves.
But as much love as there was for the photo, there was just as much hate.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, dad. That lack of coverage should be reserved for marriage-only. Your job is to be their father. If they hate you for being a responsible-loving father, then so be it," one comment reads in part. "Women of all ages should dress modestly with a greater emphasis on children. Don't do what's cool, dad, do what's right. Don't be the cool dad, be the loving dad that sets boundaries under your household."
"Sorry my daughters would never leave the house looking for sale. To the people commenting that is all that is out there now, baloney….this father is letting his girls tell him what they are wearing," someone else wrote. "He didn't have to purchase these dresses. The one in pink is really horrible. She can't bend over, sit down or cross her legs without everyone getting a free show. Not cool dad."
And there were plenty more who echoed the negative thoughts.
"I do not understand how a parent could be comfortable with their daughter's crotches on display should they bend over or sit," another person commented.
Some of Austin's followers came to his daughters' defense.
There were some fierce defenders of the girls and their dad.
"To anyone who sees their outfits as sexual then THEY ARE THE PROBLEM FOR SEXUALIZING TWO TEENS Your girls are beautiful and I see no issue with their outfits," one comment reads. "It's so sad people have to be so gross and close minded."
"I'm sorry that you shared a lovely picture of you and your girls then everyone has to voice their unwanted opinions. They look great and just like all of the other young ladies that will be attending bc this is 2022 not 1950," wrote another commenter.
Austin had enough and created a TikTok in defense of his girls.
Austin was quick to defend his daughters. He said that as a girl dad, there are things that upset him.
"So one thing that has always p—ed me off, as a father of girls, is when people say things like, 'Oh, these girls need to dress so they don't distract the boys. Or even worse, they're dressing in a way they're asking for it," he said.
He continued, "Let's make something crystal clear now. It is not my daughters' job to make sure your son is focused in school."
Sadly, many people think that way and don't take the time to educate young men that they need to respect a woman and her body. It doesn't matter what that body looks like or how she chooses to dress it. It's about respect. Period. Austin obviously knows that and realized it was time to use his platform to spread the message.
People are big fans of Austin's TikTok.
The video has gotten a lot of feedback. This time it's primarily positive. The comments are filled with people praising Austin for being a great dad.
"Real parents empower and support their kids, that's exactly what he's doing," one person commented.
"Are the dresses a little short? Maybe," another person wrote. "But they have everything 'important' covered. I see nothing wrong w it. Let them be confident in their own skin."
"YES! I raised three daughters and feel exactly the same," another person chimed in. "They are NOT responsible for a man's thoughts."
Austin admitted that the dresses were not what he would choose.
Austin isn't blind to the fact that the dresses are a bit revealing, and he said he wouldn't have chosen them. He also said that he would not dictate what his daughters wear because it would cause consternation in their relationships and likely lead them to lie to him.
But the biggest reason he didn't make them choose other dresses, as he explained, is this: "|[T]hat it's OK for a man to tell them what to wear because they look too good. And that ain't happening, Karen."
Mic drop.
