Letter to the Editor - Re Pimps and Hos

This letter is in response to [?Pimps and Hos costumes no laughing matter,? 11/1].
Ms. Bhagat?s allegation that the Taiwanese Students Association sends the message that prostitution is fun and okay is preposterous.
Halloween has, over the years, evolved into an American cultural event. We do not celebrate our desire to actually be vampires, witches, or werewolves. The basis behind dressing up for Halloween is the excitement that comes with being, for just one day, someone who you are not.
Suddenly, Ms. Bhagat says that an organization that condones dressing up is out of line. Somehow, encouraging a theme that students embrace means that TSA is comparable to a Nazi hate organization. This is a ridiculous analogy and does not accurately reflect the context in which TSA promotes these parties.
The Taiwanese Students Association promoted the T3 party under the pimps and hoes theme because this has always been a student body favorite. We merely cater to the tastes of the partygoers. This is how parties work, and this is a very simple concept. College-age women come dressed in revealing clothes not because they scoff at the plight of prostitutes, but simply because they want to come dressed in revealing clothes. We don?t encourage it, we capitalize on it.
Suggesting that TSA members are so sheltered that they have never encountered a prostitute is laughable. By accusing the TSA organizers of being a part of a social class that separates them from the harsh realities of being pimped out is an erroneous and prejudiced assumption.
It has recently been brought to our attention that Student Senate is concerned that Student Activities would fund an organization that would hold such a party. Our message is this: It is already clear to us, among many others, that the T3 Halloween party does not promote prostitution. Regardless of whether this party?s theme is consistent with the interests of the University at large, taking away our right to hold it would be identical to censoring the very article that condemns us.

Debbie Wu
&
Stacey Chu