A noteworthy
number of women shave their legs. Then some people (mostly women) question the
leg-shaving norm. Then other people enter the discussion to say “There’s
nothing wrong with shaving your legs! It’s all about choice!”
Yes. It’s all about choice. There is nothing wrong with shaving your legs. It’s your body. You can do what you want with it.
A noteworthy number of women opt to have their labia minora surgically removed. Then some people (mostly women) question the merits of such a procedure. Then other people enter the discussion to say “There’s nothing wrong with having your labia minora surgically removed!
It’s all about choice!” Yes. It’s all about choice. There is nothing wrong with having your labia minora surgically removed. It’s your body.
You can do what you want with it. However, it is not a waste of time to interrogate the pathology of a society that deems it obligatory for women to alter their natural state. (In this instance, painful, dangerous, and at great a cost.) This interrogation, this conversation, is important.
I see this happening in these conversations over and over again. I am tired of it. It slows things down.
Please, well-meaning people with your vocal support of personal choice. Please. It’s not a conversation about choice. It’s a conversation about pressure and influence.
Everyone knows that having choice is important, and that you should be able to choose what you do with your body. We’re trying to move beyond that.
What most of us want is a conversation about the underlying causes of unhealthy trends. When such a choice is made by an insignificant number of people, then it’s probably just that.
A simple, straightforward choice, but when a choice, particularly one as troubling as the surgical removal of the labia minora, is made by a noteworthy number of people and starts to look like a trend, then we have to start looking at what is driving people to make these choices.
The objective is not to shame the people making the choices but to help them understand the risks.
Yes. It’s all about choice. There is nothing wrong with shaving your legs. It’s your body. You can do what you want with it.
A noteworthy number of women opt to have their labia minora surgically removed. Then some people (mostly women) question the merits of such a procedure. Then other people enter the discussion to say “There’s nothing wrong with having your labia minora surgically removed!
It’s all about choice!” Yes. It’s all about choice. There is nothing wrong with having your labia minora surgically removed. It’s your body.
You can do what you want with it. However, it is not a waste of time to interrogate the pathology of a society that deems it obligatory for women to alter their natural state. (In this instance, painful, dangerous, and at great a cost.) This interrogation, this conversation, is important.
I see this happening in these conversations over and over again. I am tired of it. It slows things down.
Please, well-meaning people with your vocal support of personal choice. Please. It’s not a conversation about choice. It’s a conversation about pressure and influence.
Everyone knows that having choice is important, and that you should be able to choose what you do with your body. We’re trying to move beyond that.
What most of us want is a conversation about the underlying causes of unhealthy trends. When such a choice is made by an insignificant number of people, then it’s probably just that.
A simple, straightforward choice, but when a choice, particularly one as troubling as the surgical removal of the labia minora, is made by a noteworthy number of people and starts to look like a trend, then we have to start looking at what is driving people to make these choices.
The objective is not to shame the people making the choices but to help them understand the risks.
The objective is to figure out why they’re making these choices and, where appropriate, to challenge the source of their body issues.
Be yourself and
love your body. Do not make unnecessary alterations!
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