WARNING-- the post below includes both frank use of anatomical terms and irreverent use of euphemism. And an 8-foot vagina. Please do not read further if naughty bits make you squeamish.
Two years ago, I was part of an empowering group called, "The Vagina Cheerleaders." Our mission? To spread a wealth of vaginal health! A friend of mine, who was a nurse practitioner in a free clinic, realized that there is a lot of misinformation out there about the vagina, so she built one and formed our troupe of cheerleaders. By "built one" I mean she constructed an 8-foot high vagina on wheels that we pulled through the streets of downtown Minneapolis. It had pink satin parts, feather boa pubic hair, and a bell for a clitoris. The parade crowd was invited to jump through the vaginal canal and "Ring My Bell," as it were.
R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis rang that bell three times.
Our cheers were about good hygiene and safe sex for women. They included, "Hey hey! Ho Ho! That Massengil has got to go! Hey hey! Ho Ho! Just let those natural juices flow!" And "2-4-6-8 It's okay to masturbate!" We handed out condoms, lube, and dental dams. Those of our friends who were not comfortable wearing cheerleading skirts followed behind the vagina carrying signs that read, "Start a Cootchie Coup!" and "Pap Smear Every Year!" We handed out information about the safe sex, STD's, the evils of douches, and the importance of a yearly pap smear.
I was nervous about it at first. I mean, marching down the street chanting songs about my crotch? But it was amazing. The 8-foot vagina was a hit. It removed all the taboos around mentioning our "down there." It was like a mobile Vagina Monologues, but focused on the public health aspect. The crowd loved us, learned our cheers, cheered along. Straight high school kids, who were clearly already having sex, were SO excited when we handed them condoms. I was SO excited when I saw them reading the safe sex and STD information we gave them with the condoms.
The vagina became a maintenance problem last year so the Vagina Cheerleaders have disbanded, but that day lives in my memory as the day I may have done the most good in the world. We reached hundreds of people that day! Women and girls learned about their reproductive health, men learned about STD transmission and (I hope) about the workings of their female partners, and lesbians learned that safe sex and yearly pap smears are just as important for them as it is for our hetero sisters.
Can you even imagine hundreds of people united around the cause of the vagina? For a fleeting moment, I saw and lived the feminist utopia.
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It's great that you were able to come up with a creative way to educate people. Most people would shy away from doing that but it is good to know that there are people out there who are willing to do something a little daring to promote health education.
It sure got people's attention! I think it was the idea of the 50 lb gorilla in the room, or the pink elephant in the room that inspired my friend to put it all together. You know, the big important things everyone is too shy or polite to talk about? She felt this was too important to shy away from. Lots of women get very sick because they are too embarrassed to have a doctor look at their hooha.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
That's actually quite an amazing story. I read it with a smile on my face but only because it sounds not only like fun, but most definately a worthy cause! I'm glad you made a difference to peoples lives, and good job for it too!
This article was not only humorous, but inspirational.
At first I was like, "um, great.. a giant vagina parading around a city" and then you convinced me to think, "wow, great! A giant vagina parading around a city!"
:) LOL.
Shame to hear you disbanded, but I'm glad you reached those you could!
Good job!
Thanks! Wow! I'm glad I was able to convince you. Someone has flagged my post, so it may be removed, but I really don't think there's anything obscene about raising awareness of something that 50% of the population has!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I definately do not think you should have gotten flagged and I highly doubt the moderators will find a good enough reason to take it off the site. It is just like a Vagina Monologue posting. A worthy cause deserves attention. Ignoring it and flagging it will not make the issues society faces go away.
In my opinion, some one needs to learn when flagging is appropriate.
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday
The little tab at the bottom now says "flag this" instead of "Flagged," so I think it's all good.
And yeah! Rawr! Ho ho! Hey hey! Vagina float is here to stay!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Well... I didn't see any reason it should be removed. It in no way violated the ToS...
~C
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That's a great cause you have trying to educate people about their bodies, as I know many people are so uninformed about their own anatomy, let alone their partner's anatomy. My only concern is that the giant vagina doesn't sound too anatomically correct.
Kidding. It was not exactly anatomically correct, but it sure got people talking! And it was fun. We had huge lines of people waiting to jump through and ring the bell. It slowed the parade down, I'm afraid! But everyone wanted our literature and to see why in the world we were dragging this thing down the street, so it was effective.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Seriously...
You are my heroine. This is the most amusing and inspiring blog I have read in ages.
Kudos times 1,000.
I'm touched! Always happy to amuse and inspire!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
:)
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
Awesome.
Did you know in Japan there's a festival with a giant penis? :p
I just looked it up! It's Chiwawa Matsuri, and there's a great video of highlights on YouTube! Google it, everyone.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
You are slowly becoming my blogging idol.
"Prefiero morir parada que vivir la vida en mis rodillas"
You certainly sparked quite a bit of commentary. Not that I didn't like the idea, I think it's great. but... dont you hate the but, and I risk sounding like a prude so be gentle.
I think the 8 foot tall vagina was a little much for the kids. I'm not sure how parades work in big cities, I live in a small town with no roads in or out, and I have always wondered how they keep kids out of marde gras. Now I dont mind, I would find an 8 foot tall vagina pretty amusing and the bell is certainly an awesome idea. I'm just the old fashion "lets try not to tell kids about the details of sex untill they come to it on there own" type guy.
I'm not saying dont educate about safe sex. I just know that not knowing what a vagina was and then finding out when I was old enough to be semi mature about it was a good thing. Now I know I'm gonna get torn apart on this and I dont usually go for the christian side of an argument, but what about the children?
Were there five year olds in the street? Do mothers or fathers keep them inside? Are the streets the parade goes down blocked? Did you specify to not hand out condoms to those under 10, or 12? I don't know how old they can be before we make sure there prepared but I just feel that this was to encouraging. I agree in making contraceptives available to both sexes, and education about the vagina is definatly in dire need. I just am afraid that we are coming awfully close to crossing that fine line between education and preperation and moving further into encouragement.
I'll stop typing and wait for your response now.
I'm not sure how parades work in big cities, I live in a small town with no roads in or out, and I have always wondered how they keep kids out of marde gras.
They don't keep kids out of Mardi Gras. It's for everyone, a family/cultural holiday. All that Girls Gone Wild crap on tv is just drunk college kids from out of town.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
Yeah..if i was 10 i definitely wouldve asked my mom why people were running around with a giant set of vertical betty boop lips, and it wouldve been hilarious. Whats wrong with knowing about sex at an early age? When it's in everything you see and is already being encouraged in something as irrelevant as a Hardee's cheeseburger commercial or Orbitz gum ad...why not give the truth about what is already being subliminally stamped into their minds?
"Prefiero morir parada que vivir la vida en mis rodillas"
We spent a lot of time in our cheerleading practices (yeah, we practiced!) talking about distribution. The information we handed out was not lewd. It was factually accurate. We handed out "equipment" to those who jumped through the vagina, which no kids did because it was a little tall for them, and to adults in the crowd. One group of kids around seven said, "we want some candy!" And I said, "Sorry guys. It's not candy, and it's just for grown-ups." The vagina was cartoon-like, being hand made and all.
And after all, 50% of five-year-olds have a vagina, and they don't use it for sex. Vaginas are not inherently sexual. I want my five-year-old (should I ever get one) to grow up knowing she needs a yearly pap smear when she's older. I want my young boys to grow up knowing how to take care of their partner and that anatomy is not a shameful thing.
I don't know why we think as a society that bodies are only sexual. Kids have bodies too. Don't give them a complex about it. That's my theory.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I also think learning about sex from an early age isn't that bad. I knew what sex was at like 7 years old. I didn't know everything, but I knew the basic thing you had to do to get pregnant. My mom started having sex/anatomy talks with me at like nine years old, so I never had a chance to be ashamed of anything.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
Kidding.
In my anti-bias curriculum classes, we are learning about the silent curriculum, which is everything that is NOT taught. The avoidance around bodies and sex teaches kids that it's bad. Frank, honest discussion at developmentally appropriate levels eases anxiety about it all.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I really did turn out bad. I'm a lesbian and an utter pervert. But I think I would have turned out like that anyway. I'd really like to take a class on women's sexuality.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
The only way it could be worse for you is if you turn out Black. Oh wait...you're pretty much screwed! ;) (I hope you know I meant that ironically).
One of my many regrets from undergrad is that I was a woman studying, and yet I never took a women's studies class. I am a bad lesbian.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
That's why I decided to take African American lit and African Religions. I was thinking about Gay and Lesbian lit but that was at 8 in the morning, so yeah right.
And I know I'm screwed. I'm pretty much a minority in every category.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I took that. It was great. I took it right after coming out, didn't need the credits, so it was really just expensive bibliotherapy. Worth every penny though!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
"The information we handed out was not lewd."
I wouldn't assume such a thing and I imagine that most kids wouldn't understand what they were looking at or read the pamphlets(the very young ones) but it does start questions. I think that if we educate to young and take to blunt an approach we may take all of the excitment out of sex. I guess the main problem i have is i don't live in a large city. I dont have to see all these young girls having sex, where i live we dont have severe std problems. sure it's present but not something you have to worry about untill at least middle school. it feels like a pretty liberal town, but we still seem to have a strong conservitive sense of morals, if you know what i mean( and im not even sure i do). i dont know what I'm saying either so forget it.
"go 8 foot tall vagina."
"if we educate to young and take to blunt an approach we may take all of the excitment out of sex."
Maybe that is exactly what we should try to reduce sex at very young ages and the rapid spread of STDs and teen pregnancy.
I considered myself a fairly average teenager and I know many an action was motivated by curiosity and the taboo of it all. I didn't try smoking because I thought it would be good for me. I tried it because I was curious what all the fuss was about. I drank because people made it sound so "adults only". I might not have had sex for the first time in high school except for the fact that it was was an exciting thing that got so much underground attention. I was also fairly naive of the whole thing until practically my junior year of high school.
I certainly don't regret anything I tried or did in my life because it has given me such great insights and broadened my world views. I believe experience brings tolerance as well as understanding and I personally do not like to criticize those things I have never dealt with myself. By exposing children to the facts of the world (in an age appropriate way of course) we might take the the taboo out of it all and do some good.
Think about it...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tomorrowtoday