To end the schoolgirl fantasy

A petition launched by college girls is circulating in England to abolish the use of lingerie that looks like schoolgirl clothes in the sex industry. One of the objectives: to make the streets safer for young people in uniform. A question that also concerns stakeholders here.

Elise Fiola
The Press

Sarah Maile, a professor and representative of the movement, is determined that the issue gets to the ears of the government and makes society think. “What’s heartbreaking is that we have 14, 15, 16 and 17 year old girls saying to their government, ‘Please can you stop our society from sexualizing our school uniform?’ sums up the one we joined in England.

“Our young people do not feel safe in their movements because we have trivialized the sexualization of this costume, and that is where I find it problematic”, explains Cathie Gaudreault, sexologist and worker at Regina Assumpta College. .

“Many young people choose to take off their skirts to take public transport. Many shorten it at school, for a question of look, to assume, to be confident. But once out, they undo the turns of the skirt to have it as long as possible, ”she notes.

Hypersexualized minors

“We agree that it’s socially unacceptable to eroticize a child, but that’s what happens when we eroticize the image of the schoolgirl,” concedes Véronique Jodoin, sexologist educator and psychotherapist.

Cathie Gaudreault no longer counts the number of examples of aggressive remarks, indecent proposals and inappropriate gestures in connection with the wearing of a schoolgirl skirt that have been entrusted to her. “Yes, there is touching, even hands on the thighs, under the skirt, in the middle of the metro, in the middle of the bus”, denounces the sexologist who works every day with young people wearing uniforms.

“How can we live in situations where our society seems to tolerate these behaviors? », indignant Sarah Maile.

Between consenting adults

The fetishes are varied and valid, explains Véronique Amato, manager of the erotic shop 50 shades for the past seven years. “In this type of costume, if we talk about classics, it’s the nurse, the schoolgirl, the cleaning lady [qui se démarquent]. But the schoolgirl always wins; in all ages, all sizes and all shapes. Nevertheless, the sale of such lingerie remains a minimal part of its turnover.

This is also the case for Céline Roussel, co-owner of the franchise of erotic shops La Clé du Plaisir, which also sells about ten a year. She would therefore see no problem in removing this type of product from her shelves if requested.

Véronique Amato maintains, however, that the universe of fetishism is “broad and vast”. A person can then be sexually aroused by a sexy schoolgirl costume without being attracted to younger ones. Thus, she compares the different sexual role plays, noting that all parties are of legal age and consent.

A bygone trend?

“We feel that [les scénarios qui mettent de l’avant ce type de costume] are less fashionable now, but it was something that was trendy a few years ago, a bit like babysitters,” notes Nicola Lafleur, owner of the Quebec pornographic film production company Productions Pegas, who does not wouldn’t mind eliminating this practice.

“In the erotic imagination, there is something exciting in what is forbidden. If we look at porn, which has evolved a lot since the 1970s, more and more, we will eroticize scenarios like that which are socially unacceptable. For example, a mother-in-law and her son-in-law or a father and his daughter,” says sexologist Véronique Jodoin. “And there is nothing wrong with using scenarios in our head as long as it remains fictitious and we understand the difference,” adds the one who also works with students at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes college. .

According to Cathie Gaudreault, the parallel between sexualization and adolescence nevertheless remains doubtful.

Sarah Maile reiterates this unease: “At the end of the day, with no disrespect to nurses, firefighters or nuns, the school uniform stands out a lot in that it is a child’s costume and, therefore, I don’t see the sexualization of children as a fetish. The sexualization of children is not acceptable. »

M^me Gaudreault hopes that society will take the time to question itself and revise its positions by going so far as to “clean up” the offer of Halloween costumes with sexual connotations. “I know many pupils who would be happy to launch a petition like the one in England to stop this kind of use of the image of the schoolgirl; so that they have the right to be schoolgirls without being sexy schoolgirls. »