The German gymnastics team and the Norwegian handball team altered their uniforms in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It isn\u2019t just about fashion; it\u2019s about controlling their own sexuality.<\/b>
\nThe concept of \u201cmodesty\u201d is experiencing a bit of a golden moment at the Olympics, as women competing in Tokyo have stood up for their right to show as little or as much of their bodies as they please, challenging their sports\u2019 rules on \u201cproper\u201d attire. This week the German gymnastics team wore a full-body unitard that has traditionally only been donned by women competing from more religious or conservative countries. The German gymnasts weren\u2019t alone. The Norwegian women\u2019s handball team made headlines after being slapped with fines for daring to show less skin, opting instead for the uniform their male counterparts wear. Those fines are being paid for by pop singer Pink, who tweeted on Sunday, \u201cI\u2019m very proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team for protesting sexist rules about their \u2018uniform\u2019.\u201d I\u2019m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR \u201cuniform\u201d. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I\u2019ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up. That uniform? The International Handball Federation requires women to wear bikini bottoms \u201cwith a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg,\u201d per The New York Times. The sides of the bikini bottoms must be no more than four inches wide. However, men can wear shorts as long as four inches above the knee so long as the shorts are \u201cnot too baggy,\u201d per The New York Times. Related The fact that it\u2019s harder to find modest clothing choices as a female is no secret to women and mothers of girls everywhere. What\u2019s encouraging about this moment is that the concept of modesty isn\u2019t just becoming more mainstream outside of religious and conservative circles, but that women fighting for the right to dress as they please aren\u2019t just battling for the right to dress provocatively anymore. No, we\u2019re finally acknowledging that it\u2019s just as empowering to cover up as it is to flaunt our bodies. And that cultural encouragement girls feel to show more, not less? We\u2019re finally acknowledging that it\u2019s not about empowerment, it\u2019s about sexualization. The Deseret News reported, \u201cGermany\u2019s gymnasts first wore unitards in April at the European Championships. Afterward, the German Gymnastics Federation said the outfits were a statement against the \u2018sexualization in gymnastics.\u2026 The aim is to present themselves aesthetically \u2014 without feeling uncomfortable,\u2019 the Federation said per CNN.\u201d These young ladies\u2019 push for more uniform control cuts to the heart of why they\u2019re opting for more modest choices: They want to control how sexualized their bodies are by those who are profiting off of them. Gymnasts are some of the most skilled athletes competing in the Olympics, but more than any other discipline, we have recently learned the high price for the sexualization baked into a sport where young women with bodies that still appear prepubescent are running and jumping in what amounts to little more than underwear. In a piece for Vox about sexual abuse controversies within the sport, Anna North explains, \u201cAnd beyond failing to investigate reports, many gymnasts have also said that the culture of gymnastics perpetuated physical and emotional abuse. Athletes have described being hit by coaches, being pushed to train while injured, and being repeatedly insulted, berated, and ridiculed. And many gymnasts have said they were subjected to constant body-shaming in a sport where being small and having little body fat is prized.\u201d While members of Team USA haven\u2019t joined their German counterparts in covering up, at least two team members have expressed their support for the Germans\u2019 decision. \u201cI stand with their decision to wear whatever they please and whatever makes them feel comfortable,\u201d Simone Biles said. \u201cSo if anyone out there wants to wear a unitard or leotard, it\u2019s totally up to you.\u201d \u201cI think those are really cool,\u201d said Sunisa Lee, another Team USA gymnast, last month per The Washington Post. \u201cI like it a lot because people should be able to wear what they feel comfortable in, and it shouldn\u2019t be a leotard if you don\u2019t want to wear it.\u201d For these young women, the decision to affirm their right to wear what they want isn\u2019t just about fashion; it\u2019s about controlling their own sexuality. With these small gestures, we\u2019re hopefully witnessing the beginning of a shift among women about what it means to be empowered. Whereas once women were sold \u201cSex in the City,\u201d spaghetti straps and mini-skirts, we\u2019re now balancing the message to make clear that the priority is women\u2019s agency and comfort. Covering up can be just as inspiring as baring all. Bethany Mandel is a contributing writer for Deseret News, editor at Ricochet.com and a contributor to the Washington Examiner blog and magazine. Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. Check your inbox for a welcome email.<\/p>\n