There is a lot of debate here, mostly overshooting the whole “don’t sexualize” aspect and taking it as “never sexualize ever” - largely this is the people interpreting the “don’t sexualize” claims.

With that being said - sexualization, in my opinion, is totally fine as long as its in a place where its welcomed and as long as you’re not reducing the person to a sexual object.

Attractive women posting on social media, for example, is one example. A woman could just be talking about something and would just be hot - and because of that half the comments are men sexualizing her. I think this is an instance where it’s unwelcomed to call her hot, or sexy or focus on her looks because you’re ignoring what she’s saying and reducing what she’s saying to her looks. At the other hand, if the same woman is posting deliberately sexy photos, then you can look at these photos through a sexualized view.

The same applies for sex workers or people who do sexualized work for a living - it’s fine to sexualize them in the moment when they are doing something related to said work, but when she isn’t posting something sexual, dismissing her by limiting her to her sex appeal or bringing it up is when it gets iffy.

I’ve only spoken about it online so far because that’s when it’s most clear - but it happens a lot in person too. Many women who dress sexy or sexual do get some fair harassment and are reduced to their looks when they have something to say - often reduced to eye candy or are given the assumption that being talked to in public, for example, is welcomed because of their looks.

Women aren’t the only ones who face this, and while men are reduced to being sexualized less than women are - it still happens in similar ways, though less commonly. I just wanted to call that out and say that this reduction is working and dehumanizing as well.

The point? Sexualization in itself is fine, it’s the where and when that matters and whether its in a place where its welcomed, also, when sexualizing do not limit someone to their sex appeal. I think as long as these ideas are followed, sexualization in itself is a non-issue - but when they’re not is when it begc