Low cut top, fingerless gloves, short shirt, a thick leather belt, and handcuffs. You might think I'm describing a sexualized version of a Police officer's costume for an adult. You'd be half right. This is what I found at my local Party City marked as an appropriate costume for toddlers. The only difference between the adult "Sexy Cop" costume and the girls toddler was fishnet stockings. It's also the only choice labeled as a girls costume. This is not right and Party City can do better. I'm only 14 and I know our girls deserve better, especially when it is next to the boys cop costume that actually looks authentic.   

Girls deserve a choice, and a sexualised Halloween costume should never be their only option. Join me in calling for Party City to remove their toddler cop costume from their stores and online store.   

Halloween is a night when many kids dress up as their heroes. They often dress up to reflect the people they admire and want to grow up to be. There are never a shortage of police, firefighters, astronauts, doctors, and other admirable professions knocking on the door trick or treating. For the longest time these were professions that were only open to men, but in this day and age, that is simply not the case.

Now more than ever little girls imagine themselves in the shoes of their local heroes no matter the profession. Sadly, the costumes for the girls are different. Worse, they are sexualized, sending the wrong message about what it is to grow up and be an adult. Their only choice is to be "sexy". This is the lesson I learned as I searched for a costume with my eleven year old sister. Imagine your own daughter or  a young girl in your life wanting to be a Police officer for Halloween and only being offered a sexualized version of their hero. I don't want that to be the only choice for myself, for my sister, or any girl growing up.  

If Party City takes this costume off their shelves and removes it from their online store they will be taking a stand against sending the wrong message to our girls, that message being that they cannot attain a traditionally masculine profession. They will be saying this is not the only choice we want to offer their customers who come into their stores and shop online for their children. It would make a clear statement that girls can be real life heroes too.   

Please join me in asking Party City to remove the costume immediately and to provide a version labeled for girls that is just as authentic as the version offered to young boys. Together we can give our girls the choices they deserve this Halloween. Please sign and share with friends and family today.