In recent years, it has become much easier to throw together a costume than it was in the past. Creative costumes may not require a solid hot glue gun technique and an excessive amount of felt anymore, but it is still important to make sure that your costume is not offensive.

As it is costume crunch time, many of us will be scrambling to find a costume for Halloween events this weekend. There are so many options for costumes that are not offensive, so why choose something that could draw attention for the wrong reasons?

I understand that some people may seem overly sensitive or easily offended by things that shouldn’t reasonably be upsetting, but there are a lot of people who enjoy pushing the buttons of others. It is important to recognize when you are crossing the line, or better yet, don’t even attempt to portray a culture that is not your own.

A few of the most popular costumes that are offensive to cultures are the ‘sexy Indian,’ the ‘drunk Mexican man,’ the ‘sexy geisha’ or any type of blackface. I mean honestly, that last one should be obvious.

By taking these cultures and shoving them into a stereotype like ‘drunk Mexican’ or turning all female costumes into something ‘sexy,’ we not only degrade the culture but gender as well.

Not only are race and culture in the ‘do not imitate’ category for Halloween, but politics and religion are also present. Recently there was a huge controversy over the release of an ‘Anne Frank’ costume. I mean really? No one thought that was a horrible idea before releasing it to the public? Costumes like the ‘pregnant nun’ or ‘Trump deporting an immigrant’ may seem funny to you, but are both highly offensive costumes.

There are so many different options for Halloween costumes that don’t put the focus on a culture, politics, race or religious beliefs. Being conscious of how your decisions will affect others is highly important when choosing what to dress up as each year for Halloween.

Try something make-believe or, if need be, look it up. Is your costume choice offensive? Do you need to rethink what you are wearing to this party? My guess is, if you have to even think about it, it is probably a good idea to choose something else.