A Woman Got Kicked Out Of A Mall For Wearing These Shorts, And We’re Confused

As if the blistering heat hasn’t already made you fully aware, we’re officially in the dog days of summer. It’s hotter than hot outside and we have to do everything we can to keep cool. But as one Alabama woman found out, dressing for the weather can get one kicked out of a public space. She was asked to leave her local mall because her shorts were…too short. What year is it again?

Gabrielle Gibson took to Facebook on August 1st after she was kicked out of the Bel Air Mall in Mobile, Alabama. A security officer at the mall had told her that her shorts were “a problem.”

“I told [the security officers] i have bigger thighs and its just to hot for jeans that I cant help they ride up a bit. It doesnt bother me then it shouldnt bother you,” Gibson wrote in a Facebook status. She also posted two pictures of her outfit to provide context to the situation.

“From what I [saw] today everyone had short shorties on,” Gibson continued. “I mean come on it’s August and 100° outside.”

Gibson wrote that one of the security officers insinuated that her shorts were too revealing, and another officer said he would call the police if she didn’t comply with their request to leave. Gibson wasn’t sure why she was targeted by the officers, but she wrote that the incident left her feeling embarassed.

[image_with_caption text=”Gabrielle Gibson/Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-2.45.27-PM.png”]

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Many have shown their support for Gibson in the comments of her Facebook post, which has garnered over 2,400 reactions since going live on August 1st. It’s also been shared over 3,000 times.

[image_with_caption text=”Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-2.47.34-PM.png”]

[image_with_caption text=”Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-2.47.47-PM.png”]

[image_with_caption text=”Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-2.48.15-PM.png”]

[image_with_caption text=”Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-08-at-2.47.56-PM.png”]

According to NBC 15, the Bel Air Mall released a response to Gibson’s post, in which they stated, “Given the high degree of importance we place on maintaining a family-friendly shopping environment, our policy  requires all of our customers to dress in a manner that reflects our code of conduct.”

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Gibson’s post spurred protest and on August 4th, multiple men and women showed up at the Bel Air Mall to take part in what they called the #SlutWalk. Participants wore shorts and crop tops to stand in solidarity with Gibson and protest the objectification of women. Many of the protesters were barred from entering the mall by security officers.

Ironically, most of the #SlutWalk participants told ABC 15 that they had bought their shorts and crop tops from stores in the Bel Air Mall.

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Sadly, this isn’t the first time a woman’s body has been policed in a public space. In June 2017, 20-year-old Tori Jenkins was kicked out of a pool because her body was deemed “inappropriate” (she has a curvy figure and was wearing a one-piece swimsuit). And during that same month, 20-year-old Hannah Pewee was kicked out of a mall for wearing shorts and a tank top. This leads us to wonder if reactions would have been different had these women fit society’s standards of what a woman should look like (thin, white, etc.).

People, it’s 2018. Why are we still punishing women for “showing too much” of their bodies? If you’re feeling uneasy about a woman wearing shorts, that’s a you problem not a her problem.