Taking to her blog, Cracked China Cup, 23-year-old Leomie Anderson has voiced her concern about young girls and their attitude towards sex. “This isn’t my usual topic to post,” the model writes, “but one of my followers asked me to have a heart-to-internet discussion about consent and pressure for my younger readers because, with the uncontrollable rise of social media and mixed messages that young people are exposed to, more and more young girls are falling victim to being pressured to do things and having their most intimate moments shared on the internet.”
With over six years working as a model in the fashion industry, walking for the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Moschino, Leomie is used to having to give consent when it comes to her own image. If there’s something she doesn’t feel comfortable doing, Leomie says she has never had a problem speaking up. But for younger, more impressionable girls, there isn’t always that option, especially when pressured by peers at school. “I know so many girls who felt pressured into sending a picture or doing something with a boy because they liked him or believed him when he said he wouldn’t show or tell anybody and ended up the topic of tutor time,” she reflects, “It’s a decision that takes a second to agree to but also only a second to be shared with others who you haven’t consented to seeing it… I just want you all to know that you do have the option to say NO.” Amen.
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock
Photography Grant Mills