Complete idiots respond to the #WomensMarch on Twitter

I’ve been reading accounts of people criticizing the pink pussy hat theme and calling them cissexist, because ‘pussy’ is in reference to vaginas, and not all women have those.

I’ve seen that, along with some complaints about pictures of uteruses and such on signs. In general, I think there are a lot of kids out there now who have convinced themselves that talking about the ladybits of most ladies is cissexist (and also gross).

I disagree. Most women do in fact have these anatomical bits, although some, both cis and trans, don’t, or don’t have all of them (and conversely, some trans men do). They have been associated with womanhood for a very long time. And they are specifically politicized here, both because of Trump’s talking about grabbing ‘pussy’–not ‘whatever genitals a woman happens to have’–and because of legal, economic and social issues of health and reproductive justice related to those specific parts.

I think there’s a distinction between acknowledging and honoring and supporting trans women and promoting their issues as issues the whole feminist community should be concerned with, and pretending that it’s just sort of a flip of the coin who has a uterus and who doesn’t, and that talking about women having uteruses is oppressive of women who don’t.

I get a little annoyed with this, because especially on Tumblr, I see a lot of people trying really hard not to be cissexist, and sometimes it comes out ‘no one wants to hear about your gross vagina and uterus, shut up’, and I think, well, thanks, chica, glad to know that several of the major feminist issues of our day have been reduced to ‘don’t talk about dirty things’. I think that’s where we started from!

I could be wrong. I’m still just starting to learn about trans issues. But that’s where I stand until someone whose opinion I respect explains different to me.

Leda:

Oh and hello from Finland. ?

I’m knitting carepackage socks for my friend in Trumps US, as per her request.

Hello, and props to you for that.

The baby hat campaign was only in Pirkanmaa region (I live in Helsinki) and it greatly exceeded the goal (projected number of babies).

@Axe Thank you for the welcome package and link to the story.
Also thank you for the reminder, I couldn’t possibly leave out HRC. The attacks on her saddened me considering how much good she has done. I believe I was just thinking about the most recent events (but there’s still plenty of them blaming her for everything still)

@Oogly Thanks for the welcome and as for Sanders, I was hoping for the BernieBro types to treat the other Dems similar to Sanders and give them the same amount of nuance. Regarding the prescription amendment, Booker voted for the Wyden amendment which was an amendment aimed at decreasing prescription drug prices so I’m inclined to give him the benefit of doubt.

@Scildfreja Thank you for the welcome as well and the adorable floofy pigeon. I think they’re wonderful birds and people far too often think of them as pests. I was hoping for the toxic “left” to calm down after the election but it seems to me that there was even more of a flood of attacks on Dems after the election. I’m worried that if this continues, 2018 and 2020 will also be in danger if they manage to split the party again.

As for the hats, I guess I couldn’t say since they originated from something the orange monstrosity said. I saw a few at our rally. I do think that there needs to be more of a conversation on trans issues since trans people are usually pushed to the side when it comes to LGBTQ issues.

The problem with the argument that we should be talking about pussies because trump is specifically targeting them is that people with them aren’t actually in more danger of being assaulted, sexually or otherwise. When trump or a trump supporter goes to grab someone by the pussy, they aren’t going to know whether they’re gonna get one or not.

Now, playing that out, what do you think happens in that scenario when they grab for pussy and get what I got?

We are the most vulnerable group of women, especially when transness intersects with race. The pussy hats are cute and they’re pithy, and they’re a direct response to something he said, but it’s also really easy to forget that the attack on our right to exist in public (through bathroom bills/panics) was the wedge that kickstarted this recent wave of legislation on women’s bodies.

If our insistence on constantly reminding others that we exist at every opportunity leans on the aggressive side sometimes, know that its only because we’ve seen how easy it is to be forgotten and left behind as collateral damage when it’s expedient to do so.