Before I begin, I'd like to take a moment to say a word about the misogynistic reaction to Amy Wallace's Wired magazine article bringing science to bear against vaccine misinformation. I blogged about this a few weeks ago, and the conflict is of course continuing. Instead of addressing the scientific issues, the anti-vaccination folks launch into incredibly offensive misogyny. Here's a taste from Terra Sigillata:
J.B. Handley, the founder of Generation Rescue, the anti-vaccine group that actress Jenny McCarthy helps promote, sent an essay title" "Paul Offit Rapes (intellectually) Amy Wallace and Wired Magazine." In it, he implied that Offit had slipped me a date rape drug. "The roofie cocktails at Paul Offit's house must be damn good," he wrote. Later, he sent a revised version that omitted rape and replaced it with the image of me drinking Offit's Kool-aid. That one was later posted at the anti-vaccine blog Age of Autism. You can read that blog here
[continue quote from Wallace:] I've been told I'll think differently "if you live to grow up." I've been warned that "this article will haunt you for a long time." Just now, I got an email so sexually explicit that I can't paraphrase it here. Except to say it contained the c-word and a reference to dead fish.
To which I commented:
Misogyny is a convenient platform when empirical reality fails to support fantasy. Vaccine rejection has been a thorn in my side since my first child was born six years ago. I suspect that deniers' identities and personalities are so defined by the anti-vaccine culture that scientific evidence is a frightening and serious threat to their identities. I don't know how else to explain reacting to science with violence. Thank you Amy Wallace!
Orac of Respectful Insolence tipped off Isis the Scientist, who has a great post about this issue, and Handley in particular, here. She also has an explicit photo of sexual humiliation of a degree that might prompt a man to lose his mind and spew stupid the way Handley does. For livestock out West they're called "exciter steers."
She rightly states: "Sexual intimidation/suggestion is nothing new in journalism/blogging/science/the academy in general. After all, there is no end game retaliation more effective than threatening or humiliating a woman sexually." Sadly so true. JB Handley and his ilk are ignorant, abusive hatemongers. Really. At this point nothing this guy has to say serves any legitimate discussion about vaccine safety.
Now on to vaginas and other awesome girly bits!
No wonder Handley and his ilk are so focused on who does and does not have a vagina. Vaginas are amazing and awesome. (So are clitori, but that's another post.) I have previously described how my parents led me to believe that having a vagina was incompatible with intelligence, or really with anything else very positive. Happily I later learned, based both on science as well as on anecdotal evidence, that my own girly bits represent perhaps the most magnificent structures in all of human anatomy. I saw a great post recently about shattering the taboos around vaginas, other awesome girly bits, and menstruation, so here's a round-up of pro-girl items.
Awhile ago PZ Myers had a link to the Beautiful Cervix Project. Gorgeous anatomy!
Skepchick Masla Skeptic debunked some insane woo about inverted yoga positions somehow allowing placental mammals to reabsorb the uterine lining. She included many hilarious euphemisms for menstruation. Comments are always fascinating, and Masala Skeptic was bloody brilliant.
Isis the Scientist wrote about lack of availability and access to sanitary supplies in Brooklyn.
Did I mention that one of my own little posts was included in the 123rd Congregation of the Skeptics' Circle? A link there led me to The Lay Scientist, where I found Time to Talk Periods, by Vagina Dentata. Access to sanitary products in developing countries is a huge problem, and a serious human rights issue.
All women have had to make make-shift sanitary towels out of bog-roll at one time or other. We’ve all had to get blood stains out of our favourite pants and jeans. We all have stories about when we found out about what periods were, when we started, the chats with our mothers, sisters or teachers. But those chats were always hushed and never involved men.
But since that blog post I’ve come across some more interesting posts and issues. I was writing from my own experience and so very much contextualised what I was saying as being a ‘Western’ issue. But of course it isn’t. While the period taboo is a pain in the vadge in the UK, it is a serious developmental problem in poorer countries around the world.
And if you think I’m being prim by suggesting that tampons/towels are a human necessity – you think about bleeding (including blood clots and womb lining) for a week into what is already a warm, moist, bacteria-loving area covered in hair and consider not being able to keep that clean. Then think about that taking place in a hot climate where you have to walk a lot. Is this seeming like an issue now? If so, go and donate to: Dignity! Period, Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) program
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research blog is a thing of wonder and introduced me to SHE.
Skepchick Elise had a fascinating post called The Vagina Everyone's Talking About. It's about how society discusses miscarriage.
I've written about how the homebirth and natural childbirth community fetishizes Vaginal childbirth under all circumstances.
For any other menstrual questions you may have, check out this page.
Hopefully by openly celebrating girly bits and opening discussion about their attendant bleeding and associated taboos we can evolve into a society that doesn't marginalize people based on gender.
UPDATE
I wanted to mention one more thing. When I was in college I participated in an honors Zoology seminar. My research project was about female genital mutilation (FGM). Ethnocentrism aside, this is objectively terrible and barbaric, often performed under unsanitary conditions, and always horribly disfiguring. The Skeptical OB has a post about a charity called Clitoraid which performs reconstructive surgery on victims of FGM. The surgery restores dignity and pleasure.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Nikki Stern
Greg Correll
Amanda Gulledge
marytkelly
Indiana_Joe
Lainey
Salon.com
Comments
I will post more on that lost, golden age.
I am seeing more than a few hints of neo colonialism in this. You gotta lighten up on the ethnocentricity.
rated.
I like to think that this is how all that silliness evolved.
Thanks!