Maya Brown is a sophomore at Waterville Senior High School in Waterville Maine. She enjoys music, technology, photography, and anything related to theater. She has been a part of the Girls Advisory Board at Hardy Girls Healthy Women for three years, and a part of Hardy Girls since the beginning (10 years ago). She believes in empowering girls and women to speak out against the media and thinks that all girls should know how beautiful they really are. Maya is a part of her school’s GSA, school newspaper, and has co-founded a theater program called Act Out at her local elementary school. She’s excited to help SPARK this movement!

The most common definition of sexy, especially in the media, is having sexual appeal—looking attractive and appealing to others. In the media that means being an over-sexualized object for men to be in charge of.  To me, however, sexy isn’t about showing a lot of skin; it’s about feeling comfortable in my own skin.  Sexy is being in my body and confidant that I am beautiful.

Being sexy is about inner beauty; it’s about knowing who I am.  High-heeled shoes that I can’t walk in aren’t sexy; neither are jeans that are so tight I can’t sit.  Sexy is more about feeling good than looking good.  Sexy is wearing my hair in a ponytail and throwing on a hoodie when I want to.  Sexy means dressing for myself, not other people.

Sexy is a feeling; it is being myself even when the world is telling me not to. It is the ability to stay in charge of my surroundings, to be in control and fully aware of what is going on. It is the confidence I get when I’m totally in my element. It is the feeling I get when I know exactly what I need to do so that everything works out. Sexy is the feeling I get when I receive a compliment. Sexy is feeling on top of the world because I achieved something I never thought possible.

Feeling sexy is knowing that what I’m doing is worthwhile. It is the feeling that my actions will make the world a better place. Sexy is being myself no matter what. Sexy is a feeling and an action all rolled into one. When I feel sexy, I feel attractive to myself. I feel proud of myself, how I look, and what I have accomplished. When I feel sexy, I feel like I matter, like I can do anything.  So let’s take sexy back!