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I am a pretty passionate person, and if you know me in my regular personal life (not just as my superhero identity) then you’ll know my political views. Because I say them. Loudly and often. I have made a point to not do that over at SOAM and politics aren’t my main interest here, either. However. I guess the politicians got all jealous and wanted some space here at TIAW devoted to them because they started getting all up in our vaginas.
I’ve already posted an Extra-Slutty Weekly Awesome and a Legitimate Awesome in response to some of the bigger comments that were made this year, and I wanted to do a recap now that we are nearing the election here in the US. I am not suggesting you vote one way or another, but I am asking that you read these links (and more! do your own research!) and very seriously consider your choices and what they might come to mean for you, as a woman. Or for the women in your life, if you happen to be a man reading this.
Here are the reasons why the abortion argument is about more than just abortion:
~Where companies could fire females employees for using birth control to, you know, control birth. In the name of Freedom, y’all.
~Where low-income women lose all preventative health care because it’s provided by – *gasp!* – Planned Parenthood!
~Where banning abortions leads to forced cesareans. Which are, to be very clear, major surgery. And why is it that everyone who wants to ban abortions, also wants to ban or limit birth control? And then to cut low-income programs. Like. Really. How can we win that one? Maybe you didn’t notice, but humans are kind of programmed to want to have lots of the sex. It’s a biological thing. BOOM. Science.
~Where we learn that we aren’t allowed to say parts of the female anatomy in front of men, or children. “Vagina” is totes offensive. So make sure you don’t ever allude to it. Or have one.
Here are the links about rape, and how men get to make all sorts of decisions for women, like whether her rape was real or just a female trickery.
~If you read nothing else here, READ THIS. It’s not just Todd Akin. It’s so many, many conservatives including VP hopeful Paul Ryan.
~Silly women, wives can’t be raped! Maybe you should go home and make sure you were REALLY raped.
~The Official Guide to Legitimate Rape. Need to find out if you were raped or if you are just having “buyers remorse”? This is the link for you!
~Obama’s response to the Akin rape scandal.
~Maybe it would be a better use of time to try ENDING rape rather than judging it?
~Men who rape get to be daddies to the babies they make. Fantastic. Because a sexually violent person should totally get custody of a CHILD.
To sum up, the Conservative view is that birth control is bad. That if you get pregnant because there wasn’t any birth control available, you better have that baby. But that if you have that baby, you better not need any help with services for low-income populations. And if you get raped, well, not only did you probably ask for it and/or are lying about it now, but you’re SOL and, guess what? The father gets rights to that baby. Nice.
The thing here is that, whether Taylor Swift knows it or not, we live in a patriarchy where women are NOT valued, respected, or treated as equals. We are obviously considered to be ignorant, conniving, slutty, sin mobiles that have to be kept in line and protected from ourselves. Not cool. So, my dear readers, learn as much as you can about the candidates you are voting for this year, and vote like your lady parts depend upon it. Because they do.
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This is going to be an issue every year from now on, isn’t it? The too-soon-sexualization of our little girls, the over-sexualization of women, and the any-at-all-sexualization of Muppets. You know. Just your every day feminist fight.
~Stuff I pinned at my TIAW and Wisdom boards.
~The Bloggess found a “body bag” costume for women who want to rock that sexy dead-on-a-slab-at-the-morgue look. What do you mean that’s not a look? BTW, I totally used those quotes appropriately.
~This one has a lot to giggle at, but the idea that they sell a sexy Ursula (you know, the Sea Witch?) costume, but don’t sell it in plus-size, just made my brain explode. Also included? Racism!
~I posted this one a few weeks ago, but it really belongs here. Star Trek costumes for men have plus sizes available. But for women? You best not be anything over a medium. MEDIUM. Makes me stabby.
~Gender rules for Halloween costumes. Are we seriously STILL not over this?
~And this one, I’m pretty sure I shared last year, but it’s worth sharing again.
~Let’s end this Awesome with something EXTRA Awesome. This isn’t exactly Halloween-related, but this girl dresses up each day as a different historical figure. WHAT. YES. When I grow up, I want to be this little kid. She is awesome for all these reasons:
1. She dresses up as both male and female characters.
2. She throws current tweeny culture to the wind with her educational interests. Practically a Ravenclaw already.
3. Cosplay. EVERY DAY.
4. The variety. Lordy the variety. From Hellen Keller to her best friend. Fan.tas.tic.
Whitney emailed this to me via SOAM a couple of weeks ago, not knowing about TIAW. I asked her if she’d like me to post it here and she agreed. Posts like this are exactly what TIAW is for. <3
-Bonnie
I’ve known of your website for many years but I’ve never had the courage to write in. I’m afraid I don’t belong because the thing is, I’m not a mother. I’ve never had a baby. I’ve never had sex. I’ve never had a boyfriend, or even kissed a man. It is all because I am so ashamed and embarrassed of my body. It is deformed and I can’t even proclaim it’s from the beauty of being a mother.
I’m 22 years old and my breasts are incredibly asymmetrical. I know most women have this problem, but with me it is to an extreme. My right breast is a full C-cup. My deformed left breast is a flat AA-cup. It has always been this way, and because of it, I have never felt beautiful a day in my life. I see every day how big, perfect breasts are worshipped and it is a painful reminder that I will never have a husband or a baby because no one could ever love my stupid breasts. Any man would laugh me right out of the bedroom and ask for a marriage annulment immediately.
I honestly don’t know what to do. It depresses me so much I can’t even put into words. It seeps into every aspect of my life. I can’t feel happy for long about anything without thinking about my breasts. They always bring my mood crashing down again. I know you can have gel pads put into your bra, and I’ve tried this, only to bawl my eyes out when I take them out. It makes me feel worse because it makes me feel like I have to be fake to be even remotely sexy or beautiful.
Every website I try to visit just pumps surgery, surgery, surgery. None of them have offered any suggestions on how to love your body the way it is. That’s what I WANT to do, desperately. I’m a college student struggling every day just to pay my tuition, there is no way I could afford surgery and again, it just feels fake to me. I want to look into the mirror naked and feel beautiful for once in my life, with my body the way it is. I want to accept and love myself, but I don’t know how or if I ever will. I was hoping maybe you or someone at your site could help me, because I feel like I am at the end of my rope.
