Anna commented, “I was incredibly disappointed by a few of the comments or choices made by BYU leadership. Sports Illustrated swimsuit models did not help me feel empowered.” Various comments such as “Be yourself,” “Live authentically,” and “Live your truth” dominated the conference and felt “incredibly hollow” to Anna.
During homecoming week, BYU and the Big 12 Conference hosted “Lean into Light TogetHER.” The women’s empowerment conference included speakers from BYU, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, most surprisingly, Sports Illustrated Swim. The Cougar Chronicle received feedback from Anna Hanson, a student who attended the event.
Concerning her expectations of the event, Anna said, “I was expecting an uplifting event where the special qualities of women would be highlighted, and our divine identity would be represented.” However, some aspects of the event left Anna and others feeling uninspired.
Anna commented, “I was incredibly disappointed by a few of the comments or choices made by BYU leadership. Sports Illustrated swimsuit models did not help me feel empowered.” Various comments such as “Be yourself,” “Live authentically,” and “Live your truth” dominated the conference and felt “incredibly hollow” to Anna.
According to Anna, the Cougarettes, BYU’s dance team, performed to the edited cut of “B*tch Better Have My Money.” Anna explained the performance “left me confused on how in the world that song was supposed to be empowering?”
When asked whether motherhood was addressed, Anna said that during the two hours she was at the event, motherhood was “only addressed from the viewpoint of, ‘it’s okay to be a working mom even if the church seems to say otherwise.’” She clarified that she “absolutely agrees that women have the ability to receive revelation for their families to decide whether or not to work to support them,” but that she also “felt really disappointed that motherhood itself wasn’t discussed, or the irreplaceable value of stay-at-home moms”.
Despite some of the messages at the event, Anna praised the comments from Camille Johnson, the president of the Relief Society. Sister Johnson defined empowered women as those who “allow others, especially Jesus Christ, to help them.” Anna explained, “I felt most empowered by Sister Johnson’s comments. With every question, she testified of Jesus Christ or some aspect of His plan. I felt incredibly motivated and uplifted by her words.”
However, Sister Johnson’s powerful message of Jesus Christ was immediately followed by background pop music with “hollow messages encouraging promiscuity or putting down men. Overall, Anna said, “This event had a lot more potential, but still had themes of the world’s view of “women’s empowerment.”
Written by: Thomas Olsen
Senior Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
