I See Invisible People asks a great question about the front page...
I See Invisible People
There's a statement on the front page that says "No Uterus, No Opinion." That's actually a compromise of my original form, which is "No Pussy, No Opinion." I don't normally censor myself, but there was discussion a while back by Des Femmes as to whether women should use that language. I'm wouldn't be using it in the derogatory way that the guys were, but while I do intend to be in-your-face, I don't want to offend the people I'm trying to inspire.
I hope that people realize that I'm just trying to make a point. No man has any business telling us what we can and cannot do with our bodies. I'm a free, sentient being and this is my body. I should have complete sovereignty over it. Period.
As it is, men tend to bristle at the statement. I don't care. They need to wake up and realize that this is not their business. They have NO rights where my body is concerned. I certainly don't want to alienate older women, or those who have had surgery to remove their uterus for other reasons. They're still women with power, rights and feelings. We need the wisdom and experience of our older Sisters - we can't do this without them.
Terry put it very eloquently in her post:
When I put the site together, “No P*ssy, No Opinion” seemed so strong that a lot of women would be offended by it. The site is already pretty intense. “Vagina” sounded too clinical, and the phrase “No Uterus, No Opinion” happened to be used on FRIENDS by the character Rachel when she was having Braxton-Hicks contractions, so I went with that. I figured a little pop-culture tie-in couldn't hurt.
So which do y'all prefer? Should I change it? Do you have a better suggestion? What do y'all think? I'm listening - it's your movement, too.
There's a statement on the front page that says "No Uterus, No Opinion." That's actually a compromise of my original form, which is "No Pussy, No Opinion." I don't normally censor myself, but there was discussion a while back by Des Femmes as to whether women should use that language. I'm wouldn't be using it in the derogatory way that the guys were, but while I do intend to be in-your-face, I don't want to offend the people I'm trying to inspire.
I hope that people realize that I'm just trying to make a point. No man has any business telling us what we can and cannot do with our bodies. I'm a free, sentient being and this is my body. I should have complete sovereignty over it. Period.
As it is, men tend to bristle at the statement. I don't care. They need to wake up and realize that this is not their business. They have NO rights where my body is concerned. I certainly don't want to alienate older women, or those who have had surgery to remove their uterus for other reasons. They're still women with power, rights and feelings. We need the wisdom and experience of our older Sisters - we can't do this without them.
Terry put it very eloquently in her post:
In a movement dedicated to embracing full personhood, we Second Wave’rs may lack functioning uteri, but not voices. We can and should be a part of this drive for self-determination. Our gender is not defined by reproductive capacity and biology is not our destiny. We are women, too, and what dehumanizes one of our sisters or daughters degrades us as well.
Personal and sexual autonomy are still our issues. I welcome to call to mobilize younger women, but the Second Wave does not have to be obsolete. As WAM says, women’s rights are human rights and that’s what binds the generations together. We’re stronger together than we are apart.
When I put the site together, “No P*ssy, No Opinion” seemed so strong that a lot of women would be offended by it. The site is already pretty intense. “Vagina” sounded too clinical, and the phrase “No Uterus, No Opinion” happened to be used on FRIENDS by the character Rachel when she was having Braxton-Hicks contractions, so I went with that. I figured a little pop-culture tie-in couldn't hurt.
So which do y'all prefer? Should I change it? Do you have a better suggestion? What do y'all think? I'm listening - it's your movement, too.
2 Comments:
Speaking just for myself (of course! :)) I feel uncomfortable with it, as it seems to imply that transgendered women may have no place in the WAM movement. Or am I reading this all wrong? Please see my more detailed comment and background links left at I See Invisible People.
However, linguistically, it's very catchy. It's a short, forceful statement that really drives the point home.
("Pussy", I believe, has too much of a history of misogyny connected to it to be effectively reclaimed.)
I don't have a problem with "pussy" or even "cunt", because I think those words ought to be reclaimed. Plus, when women are willing to cuss, it challenges the idea that we're inherently soft, weak, oversensitive, or prissy. But I do agree that it seems to exclude trans women.
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