While some people like stripping for the tease, others consider it a job choice.

After struggling to pay school, apartment and health bills, a few Ithaca College students are stripping to supplement their incomes. Despite other part-time jobs in food service, academic tutoring or administrative work, these students choose to strip because they believe it is the most lucrative option.

While many believe stripping perpetuates the objectification of women, it’s important to recognize that this choice is still a valid one. Rather than using intellectual skills as a means of collecting income, they consciously choose to use their bodies for capital gain. And these choices should not be regarded as less worthy than others.

Earlier this fall, students in Ithaca participated in a “Slut Walk” to show their support for women’s right to demand respect for their bodies, regardless of how they dress or carry themselves. While the march was against rape and victim blaming, its feminist approach addresses socially constructed ideas about objectifying female bodies.

In a progressive society that values individual choice, we must uphold the right for both men and women who strip to choose how they present their bodies, without fear of social condemnation.