I am writing to express my concern regarding Sports Illustrated’s continual publication of the annual Swimsuit Issue, which normalizes male sexual entitlement and profits from the sexual objectification of women. Women are empowered when they are celebrated for their abilities, accomplishments, and ideas, and not just for their appearance or sexual appeal. Sports Illustrated honors male athletes for their impressive athletic accomplishments, and it is time for the magazine to honor women in the same way. If Sports Illustrated claims to be a magazine based on gender equality, then it must stop publishing images that objectify women. That is why I am asking that you eliminate the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated. In the age of the #MeToo movement, Sports Illustrated is at a critical juncture regarding its future. Society is demanding substantive change to improve the status of women; will Sports Illustrated heed this call to action?

We are writing to express our concern regarding Sports Illustrated’s continual publication of the annual Swimsuit Issue, which normalizes male sexual entitlement and profits from the sexual objectification of women. With your new leadership and ownership of Sports Illustrated, it is time to eliminate the patently harmful and offensive sexual objectification of women from the Sports Illustrated brand. We call upon you to eliminate the Swimsuit Issue and to stop supporting the dehumanization of women. Since 1964, this magazine has sexually objectified women for sport and profit. The images found in the Swimsuit Issue are not designed to be empowering. Rather, they are designed to portray women as sexually desirable and available to the male customers purchasing this magazine. Women who have achieved remarkable athletic feats do not deserve to be put back into the box of male sexual accessibility in order to promote “body positivity.” In the age of the #MeToo movement, Sports Illustrated is at a critical juncture regarding its future. Society is demanding substantive change to improve the status of women; will Sports Illustrated heed this call to action?

In a recent article on si.com, Swimsuit Issue Editor MJ Day said, “The conversation shouldn’t stop at body diversity or how a woman should look or dress to be worthy of media celebration. SI Swimsuit wants the focus to be on women’s actions as much as their appearance.” While those are beautiful words describing nothing less than a worthy and admirable goal, the Swimsuit Issue stands in direct opposition to Sports Illustrated’s attainment of that goal. Since 1964, this magazine has sexually objectified women for sport and profit. The images found in the Swimsuit Issue are not designed to be empowering. Rather, they are designed to portray women as sexually desirable and available to the male customers purchasing this magazine. Women who have achieved remarkable athletic feats do not deserve to be put back into the box of male sexual accessibility in order to promote “body positivity.” We acknowledge that Sports Illustrated, being a long standing and reputable sports magazine, may wish to promote healthy female body positivity. As MJ Day said in a personal Instagram post about her own struggles with body image, “I’m determined to get out the message that there is not a singular definition of beauty.” Once again, Mrs. Day beautifully verbalized a commendable objective. However, we would take her statement a step further and argue that women of all shapes, sizes, and ages deserve more than being reduced to body parts for largely male sexual interest. In the age of the #MeToo movement, Sports Illustrated is at a critical juncture regarding its future. Society is demanding substantive change to improve the status of women; will Sports Illustrated heed this call to action?

The objectification of women through hypersexualized photos leads to their dehumanization, not their empowerment. Research from the European Journal of Social Psychology shows that when someone is being objectified, the objectifier is viewing them as if they do not possess a real, individual mind and as if they are less deserving of moral treatment. And yet, the Swimsuit Issue is actively promoting the objectification of women by sending a message that women’s bodies are for public consumption. A company that demotes women to ornamental instruments for pleasure is a company that is complacent in the face of sexual exploitation and inequality. Accordingly, we ask that you exhibit the character and leadership necessary to eliminate the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated. It's time to stop profiting off of the objectification of women's bodies.