Last week, Kim Kardashian posted a nude selfie to Instagram.
That may not seem like news, as we’ve seen Kim Kardashian naked countless times over the years, but this particular pic set off a surprising amount of controversy.
Some criticized Kim for setting a bad example for her young fans.
Others praised her for taking aim at the notion that women with kids can’t be sexy.
Some even showed their solidarity by following Kim’s footsteps. For example, model Emily Ratajkowski posted a nude photo in honor of Kim – and was thrilled when the queen of social media expressed her gratitude.
Emily posted a photo of a flower arrangement yesterday along with the following caption:
“Thank you for the beautiful flowers and note @kimkardashian. It’s so important that we let women express their sexuality and share their bodies however they choose.
“‘Merely external emancipation has made of the modern woman an artificial being. Now, woman is confronted with the necessity of emancipating herself from emancipation, if she really desires to be free.’ Emma Goldman.”
Emily has long been a proponent of the idea that public expressions of sexuality and commitment to progressive feminist ideals are not mutually exclusive.
“I think you can be a sexual woman, empowered and be a feminist,” she recently told The Daily Mail. “I think sexuality should be empowering to women, it’s not always misogynistic or exploitative.”
So while Kim may not have posted her pic as a form of anti-slut-shaming protest, it’s cool that she sparked a conversation and that other women are following her example and realizing that they have the right to express themselves sexually in whatever way they choose.