Hey! I saw you. You were rolling your eyes. You were thinking about those depressing lectures on eating disorders and depression and females making seventy-five cents for every dollar that men make. You were thinking of women in army boots, yelling at you about women’s liberation. You were thinking about things that you find hateful. But I know you weren’t thinking about what I have to say.
Hey women! Have you ever played “the penis game”? I have. I did it because it’s funny to shout rude things in public. Did you ever play “the vagina game”? I have. I did it because I was tired of little boys thinking that their little penises were going to rule my world. I also played it because I had a teenage almost-woman come up to me and tell me that vaginas are gross. Honey, I don’t know what you think you got down there, but it sure as hell ‘aint daisies and honeycomb! You’ve got a vagina down there, and it’s madder an hell that you think it’s gross. I bet if I had asked her, she’d have said that penises are perfectly normal. Well, that’s true, but your vagina ‘aint something that came down from a space ship, neither! Good God, woman, have some self-respect!
This is what I’m talking about. I don’t deny that there are some wonderful men out there who can make a woman love her body. There are some wonderful women out there who can also make us proud to be women. And yet there are so many young girls and teenage almost-women just like the one I met who don’t understand how beautiful they really are, and how beautiful they can be if they stop believing in the notion that penises are normal, but vaginas are gross.
And now I’m going to talk about your mother. Yes, the woman who birthed you, whether or not she was the one to raise you as well. I’m sure this woman suffered the trials and tribulations of being the proud owner of a vagina. I’m sure she cursed it as you were brought forth, and praised it once she saw you (or maybe she told them to stuff you back in, who knows?). But if it were something gross, something nasty, you wouldn’t be here today. You’ve got to admit that, at least. I’m sure she’d agree, and tell you to knock off this “gross” shit.
But you’re not at the point right now where the majority of you are thinking about babies (unless it’s to make sure you don’t have one), and I hope those of you with one now are still praising your vagina. At any rate, I bet you’re wondering how this all relates to you. It relates because we’re not talking about your vagina as a sexual organ. We’re talking about it as a symbol for what makes you a woman (or in the guys’ cases, what makes the females you know women). You should be proud of it because you are proud of being females. You don’t have to bow down to men. I’m sure everyone would agree that “woman” and “female” and “girl” are not dirty words, any more than “man” or “male” or “boy” are. It’s okay to be female these days. Stop hiding!
Men are not subservient to nor are they not as good as women. Men are valuable human beings. But this means that women are also not subservient to nor are they not as good as men. We must raise up a chant of “vagina power!” every time someone raises up a chant of “penis power!” We must talk about our vaginas and praise them and be educated so that we know what is “normal” and what is not. Women should not need men to teach them about their own sexual organs. They should teach each other and be proud of what they learn.