So, what is this Vagina Dentata
deal, anyway? If this is not a pornography site, as we state, why the emphasis
on strong sexuality? And if we don't hate men, why do we love the imagery
of a vagina swallowing them and their "manhoods" whole?
The first thing to understand
is our intention is not to encourage women to use their sexuality as a
weapon of power, not to promote the idea that leaning over a counter top
with cleavage bulging is the best way to get things in this world. What
we're encouraging is that womyn shouldn't be ashamed of their sexuality.
The term "Dice Entre Las Piernas" (She speaks from between her legs) is
not to be taken as we're all here to throw ourselves on our backs and let
a man ravish us just because we enjoy it and we're proud of our sexuality.
In a way, that is just giving in to men's whim and letting them continue
to control, with the illusion of the power being on our side. We do not
want womyn to be under the illusion that having multiple affairs and wearing
extremely revealing clothes is going to empower her. If a woman DOES
choose to express herself that way, it is her choice, but we believe she
should not do this,as so many women do, out of a sense of insecurity and
a need to feel desired. Then she can only continue to be used and remain
disconnected from her body except when she feels she is desired. What we
believe to be essential is to first know and love our bodies and understand
what goes on within them. To not let a man, or a cultural tradition, or
a popular social trend define our sexuality for us, but to create our own
definition of it, unique to each person, and work from there. One of the
best ways to do that is to conquer the taboo of our Vaginas. Today
it seems that the most acceptable place for a vagina is a dry, medical
book filled with pastel-colored drawings and long technical terms - or
a pornographic magazine, shaved bare and spread open as its owner lies
back submissively beneath an inch thick mask of make-up. Neither reflect
the magik or power of the Vagina. In fact, such representations are
often intended to defeat such a thing, make it docile and an object
for a man to study and control or penetrate. Any other representation is
considered offensive. It is considered distasteful to use the word "vagina"
in public, or to make it known that you menstruate. Hundreds of girls blush
at the thought of buying tampons from a man. Yet both vaginas and menstruation
are entirely natural, and have been since the dawn of time. So many women
in the world are disconnected from their vaginas - with everything that
encompasses, from our uterus to our clitoris - and have been successfully
persuaded that to speak about it is distateful and repugnant, unless we're
in a situation of stimulation - for the most part, of men. And so it goes
that the only time a womyn feels confident to express this wonderful, powerful
part of herself is when she has male approval - and usually in a sexual
situation. Womyn of the world have been forced into the mindset that allowing
a man to set the criteria for what is attractive is acceptable.
NO. It is not.
Womyn of the world, take
back your vaginas! This powerful portal has been a central figure of symbolism
for centuries, it is the door between life and death, a magnificently sculpted
cavern of pleasure and mystery, a glory of nature, a gateway to our souls,
a tunnel which can swallow one whole.
This is what is meant by
both Dice Entre Las Piernas and Ana Suromai (Lift your skirts). Don't spread
because a man tells you your sexy. FEEL sexy because you are an awesome
being of life and rejuvenation, death and darkness. One cannot be without
the other. Don't be ashamed of it.
EXACTLY why men sought to
control it. Because it is a glorious power they can never attain. And this
is where Vagina Dentata comes in.
Men, as is strongly evidenced
throughout history, want to dominate everything. The closest relation to
them is - womyn (ba dum dum). One thing that becomes very clear very quickly
is womyn's bodies are havens for life, that a womyn's body can bleed continuously
and the womyn does not die, and furthermore that this happens like clockwork
once a month - in relation to the moon, a strong part of mythology and
religious beliefs. It's not a stretch to then draw the conclusion womyn
have power, baby. Instant threat. Those of you familiar with mythology
(and those of you not, check out our Mythology
and History page for info on what we're about to talk about) will be
familiar with the Triple Goddess, symbolising the three stages of life
- Birth, Death and Rebirth. The vagina and the womb have been seen as the
haven for all three. We are birthed from the vagina, at death we return
to the womb, and then we are reformed and rebirthed. Womyn are the guiders
of life and death. Scary stuff for the "all-powerful" men. The all
powerful superstitious men. From this comes the idea of vagina dentata
- a beast that can crush you and take away your power, no matter how strong
you think you are. At the beginning it is it who gives us life. At the
end, all must answer to death. Mankind successfully persuaded womyn to
fear it also, and hide it in shame, but the instinctual sense of it has
remained and has played a part in man's drive to continue to oppress womyn.
It is a mentality that more and more with the twentieth, and now twenty-first,
century that womyn are once again re-claiming it as our RIGHTFUL own. LIFT
YOUR SKIRTS. Confront the taboo. Don't do something for the approval of
ANYONE. Do it for yourself. Tap into the inherent power within yourself,
your strength and soul, your life-giving and taking blood. Love your vagina.
Bare your teeth!
http://www.yoni.com
- go there, it's quite awesome indeed
If you love your vagina,
you'll take care of it well!! Wash it, pet it, tell it it's wonderful,
be proud of all it's folds and creases and its hidden teeth!! This
sacred part of your body requires as much care and attention as any other
part of your body, more so even! From your vagina is the tunnel into your
inner self, and you have the right to keep that protected and looked after!
Like any warm and moist orifice of your body it will have it's own unique
scent and secretions. These are perfectly normal. No doubt living with
your vagina you'll have noticed that the "smells like fish" rumor
is just that - a rumor! (and Glasya would like to add she's yet to encounter
one that tastes like chicken) But if you should notice a funny odour, or
a strange colored discharge - see your doctor! We cannot stress how important
this is! Your vagina is an extremely sensitive area of your body and you
should always be aware of what is happening within it! If you feel shy
or embarrassed about any problems you might be experiencing - look or request
for a lady doctor. This is NOT unusual by any means - most womyn prefer
their ruby slippers to be attended to by someone with one herself! Don't
be afraid to seek out a woman dctor and then don't be afraid to ask for
information - under her clothes she's got the same things you've got and
has probably had the same questions herself!
Self-educate yourself too.
Learn about vaginal, ovary and cervical cancer. Be aware of STDs. Don't
be paranoid just known what's going on. Remember - a healthy vagina is
a HAPPY vagina! :D
http://www.menstruation.com.au
- a fantastic site jam-packed with wonderful, useful information! Go and
check it out!
http://www.eurohealth.ie/cancom/index.htm
- Website about women's cancer in it's various forms. Take a look
http://www.sexhealth.org
- website on healthy and safe sex
More information on your
vagina, with more links, can be found here.
Another factor that can play
an enormous part in a womyn's disassociation from her vagina is sexual
assault. A hideous act, it can destroy a person's life. With the continued
discrimination against womyn, there is still not enough comprehension amongst
men that if they think their penises are so great, they must take
responsibility for them. ALL forms of assault MUST be taken seriously.
To dismiss one makes way for another. Sexual assault can seriously damage
a person's psychological stability. Eve Ensler evokes it powerfully in
a piece from her fantastic 'Vagina Monologues':
"My vagina a live wet
water village. They invaded it. Butchered it and burned it down. I do not
touch now. I live someplace else now. I don't know where that is."
Rape or assault victims often
cannot identify with themselves in a sexual sense. They develop a distorted
idea of what a sexual relationship entails, and this can seriously affect
how they relate to other people and develop relationships. It can take
a victim many years before she can feel comfortable with her sexuality,
where she is not afraid to go out without worrying what kind of signals
she is sending out, however unconsciously. Of course, the horrible reality
is the victim probably never sent out a "signal" to begin with. Some victims
never recover. Alot depends on what happens after the assault. If they
feel they can report it, if their report is listened to, if they are treated
with compassion and understanding, or if they are pushed away. All too
often the kind of care required is not given, especially in the case of
children who do not understand what is happening, or why, and who don't
know what to do about it.
Often, the victim will develop
the idea that it is their fault, that they must of done something to bring
it on themselves
NO!
Noone controls a man's body
but that man. If he chooses to cross a line he knows that he should not,
it is noone's fault but HIS OWN. It is NOT acceptable for a man to claim
that an outfit, a smile, or a friendly conversation led him on. NO MEANS
NO. And if anyone should ever insinuate a girl did something to invite
any kind of assault on her person - they are WRONG and reflect exactly
the things that are wrong with the world today.
Of course, it is simply
not enough to say these things, true though they may be. A victim needs
time to recover at her own pace, however long that may be. The important
thing is she take that time and take the steps to lead her to the road
of recovery. Most important of all - if you are a victim of assault - YOU
ARE NOT ALONE. There ARE places you can turn to for help. The site maintainers
understand just how difficult this can be - you feel alone, you're not
sure who you can trust or if you will be believed. If there's noone in
your life - parents, a close relative or friend, or a trusted teacher -
you feel you can turn to, there ARE organisations set up to help you deal
with this very thing and take back your teeth.
http://www.rainn.org
- the site maintainers support RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)
which offers anonymous FREE and PROFESSIONAL counselling. Check out their
website for more information.
http://www.feminist.com
- another site excellent for information on dozens of womyn issues, including
abuse in all its forms.
Rape Crisis Centre of Australia:
0011 61 2 6247 2525
STOP! - Before going any
further, is there an organisation in YOUR country focusing on helping victims
(womyn/men/children) of forms of assault? We want to know! If the organisation
in question does not have a website, please send
us the name of it and the phone number (plus country and area codes)
and address!
With the goal of reclaiming
and recreating our vaginal identity, and also in a bid to stop violence
against womyn, February 12 is International Vagina Day!!! It is both a
cause for celebration and a day to reflect very seriously on our society.
Check out the official site at
this address
For too long now, rape has
not been taken seriously enough as the brutal crime it is. It has not been
regarded as a product of a society which represses and restrains itself,
which at the same time as denying sexuality gives an obscene amount of
power to the patriarchy who find themselves often at a loss on how to deal
with it. They commit rape. And, this being a patriarchy we live in, rapists
get off easy. Men are not held responsible for the power they wield. Instead
the womyn they oppress are. Not only do the womyn they rape get blamed
for the violation of themselves if they were wearing a short skirt, or
smiled in a fliratious manner, but those womyn have to then spend a lifetime
dealing with that violation, more often than not with their attackers either
going completely unpunished, or getting a few years in jail after a trial
where the defence worked its ass off to humiliate that womyn whose life
had just been changed forever.
In the 'Rape Not Cunts'
chapter of her book 'Cunt', Inga Muscio puts it aptly thus:
A man could, feasibly,
sacrifice his coffee break raping a woman.
That woman would then spend
her entire life dealing with it.
So would her daughters.
So would theirs.
It is an issue that is hard
- very hard - for women to talk about, but cannot be talked about enough.
I cry as I write this, but know I cannot skim over it. Silence begets rape.
If it is not torn from it's hole out into the daylight, examined from every
angle, discussed in the most brutal of language and put on display as the
model of a warped society which allows its own to be brutalised, then dozens
of womyn a day will continue to have their lives thrown into upheaval by
a penetrative act that only takes a few minutes. A few minutes which can
forever skate at the heel of a lifetime. It has to be declared loudly
that this distribution of power can no longer be allowed. For rape is the
most primitive, brutal way a man has of asserting his power. In every
woman there is a part of herself that is forever a virgin, a sacred, secret,
entirely hers part that can never be violated or taken away from her.
Unless she is raped.
It is the easiest, most
horrifyingly effective way of crushing a person's spirit. Telling a friend
that rape is what I was writing about right now, she responded with:
"Oh.
god.
My greatest fear."
It's every woman's greatest
fear. For every woman knows that any time she catches a bus by herself
late at night, any time she walks down a skinny alleyway on her own, any
time she has so much as the gaul to wear leopard print underwear -
There is a chance she will
be raped.
A gun point rapist was aquitted
in San Francisco, 1971, because his unmarried victim admitted to having
a lover.
Women picjeters protested,
handing out leaflets which said the following:
When a person is
robbed, the robber is put on trial. When someone is
murdered, the murderer is
tried. But when a woman is raped, it is the
woman and not the rapist
who is put on trial.....If she can be shown
to have any sexual history,
the rapist must be acquitted, for by their
own definition it is then
no rape at all. For a woman to allow herself to
be a sexual person, to enjoy
her sexuality in her own way in her own
time, is for her to lose
all protection from being forced to commit
sexual acts with any man
at any time.
It continues to this day.
How can you fight it? Start
by making sure you never let your girlfriends go home alone late at night.
Make sure they've got a lift. Keep your eyes open. If a man makes you feel
uncomfortable, move away from him - and don't feel rude for doing it!
If
a strange woman on the streets is upset, ask her why. If a man is behaving
suspciously around women, interfere. Say something. Break the silence.
Use any forum you can - a class project, a work of art, a website, a woman's
crisis centre.
Say something.
Glasya is writing this now
on a lazy Saturday afternoon, hungover from the night previous and contemplating
the night ahead, knowing she should be upstairs cleaning the bathroom.
Ai. She'll do it straight afterwards. Right now its time for something
she's been meaning to put on the site for a few weeks now. :)
If you cup your hands around
your vagina, it feels like you're holding a little treasure there, all
yours, warm, vibrant and alive. It's a lovely feeling. When I was very
young, before I even heard the word 'masturbation', cupping one hand around
my yoni, I felt like I was holding a secret. :) I suppose I was - though
at the time I really didn't know what. Yoni Worship praises the vagina
as a glorious life giving instrument, a deflector of evil, a gateway between
worlds. It's something we all know, but remains a mystery in nature - which
is why it feels like a secret ;)
But secrets associated with
the yoni are not all mystical, magikal lovelies. Everyone knows about masturbation
for boys. It's something that's expected from boys, in fact. When
a boy reaches puberty, its just assumed he'll start spanking the monkey.
But for girls.......in keeping with the metaphorical cliteredctomies given
by denying womyn the freedom of an open sexual identity in the world, female
masturbation is considered 'not done', at least in polite society. The
fact is, at least as many girls as boys masturbate - it just ain't talked
about. It's a secret. A secret most girls feel, even amongst their closest
girlfriends, that they must keep absolutely to themselves.
It was considered, in decades
past, that it was unhealthy for womyn to masturbate, and that orgasms were
dangerous to one's mental stability. Cliteredctomies were administered
to cure womyn of epileptic fits - brought on by masturbation, of course.
With the sexual revolution, female masturbation has often cropped up (apart,
of course, from the pornographic industry where it is performed primarily
for the sexual gratification of voyeristic men) in womyn's magazines as
a stock part of articles on How to Have Great Sex. These articles urge
womyn masturbation is a normal and good thing. I certainly think these
articles are great, because they sure go aways to stripping the taboo from
masturbation, even if their passionate articles on Love Your Body No Matter
The Shape are followed by a diet of grapes and rice, but the one key point
I've noticed in all these articles is that masturbation is good because
it will help you teach your partner what you like. Oh yes, and watching
you do it stimulates him. (it's always him)
Well. What about masturbation
just
for onself?
What about masturbation just
because there's noone else around and a gal feels horny? I wanna see Cosmo
articles on THAT.
The subject is slowly being
dug up from under the layers of funeral dirt, more and more books are being
published that encourage female masturbation and give tips and pointers
on the best ways to go about it. But until a group of girlfriends from
anywhere in the world at any time can sit around and swap tips and
pointers, there's a long way to go. The fact remains masturbation IS normal
- it is a regular human way of getting to knows one's body (which is very
important - if only for the reason if you know what's about you'll know
when something's wrong) and it is as good for you as sex. And sex is VERY
good for you. Orgasms, no matter how you achieve one, still get the heart
pumping and the blood racing, and the endorphins released by the bucketful.
It's true, a great purpose
for masturbation is that you'll know what you like done to your body, and
how you like it done, and then you'll be able to teach your partner all
of that and have really satisfying, multiple-orgasm, bitchin' sex. Not
to mention if you're gay, and you know your to make your bits happy,
then there's a good chance you'll know how to make hers happy.
But I think masturbation
should be selfish.
Yes, I do. I think it should
be a selfish act of self gratification. I think it shouldn't be performed
just with the idea that this will help your love life. I think it should
just be done cos a gal just plain and simple wants to do it.
That is already happening
in alot of places. So now I think the next step is to start making that
known! That women are masturbating for themselves and themselves alone.
It sounds so outrageous in a way, but it's not at all. It's
not at all, becuase it is such a natural, normal thing to do. Humans
are sensory creatures. We like sights, smells and tastes that make us feel
good...and we like touches that feel good too. The taboo on masturbation
is a product of a backward civility that tries to stifle, choke and suppress
anything that makes us look like what we are: organic beings of the earth.
Denying ourselves the selfish freedom of masturbation, denying ourselves
the ability to talk about it as normal, is denying an inherent part of
our very nature.
What prompted me to finally
start writing this section was a discussion I was having with one of my
very best friends, the blue columbine, who expressed surprise on the revelation
I don't own a vibrator. "I would've thought you'd be the very FIRST to
own one!" she exclaimed. It made me laugh. I tend to do things the old
fashioned way ;) and when I think of using vibrators I think of using them
on OTHER people. I asked her why it surprised her so much. "Because you're
such a sexual creature, you're so open about it and you like it so much."
I was pleased about that ;) Discussing that discussion with another friend,
she also expressed surprise on my lack of vibrator-ownership. This
lead to the topic of masturbation, a tricky one to broach with even your
closest friends - masturbating itself is not so difficult to talk about
- it's talking about whether YOU or your FRIENDS do that gets awkward -
who knows how they'll react - will they be offended if you ask them? Will
they express disgust if you tell them? The blue columbine and I talked
about how handy she found her own vibrator, so the green lights were blinking
at me comfortingly. But the monkey o' luv was another story - although
she and I cheerfully discuss sex of all forms and nature, alternatively
ridiculing it or lusting for it - personal masturbation had never been
touched on. She could've knocked me over with a feather when she said:
Well, I'll tell
ya ONE thing about it; I got more pleasure sticking my big toe in my ear.
HUH? Are we talking about the
same thing here?
It's all very well and good
to walk into a sex shop, purchase a guide on masturbation 101, and go home
and take the course, but what if you're too young to enter a sex shop?
Too shy? No money?
Jesus, why isn't this stuff
taught in schools?
Would including a few hints
on masturbation technique into the classes on puberty be all that
bad? I think it would go a few big leaps to helping fill the holes (no
pun intended) girls try to fill with sloppy, inexperienced boys with no
respect for them and who come after two pumps.
Shouldn't girls be encouraged
to get together with their friends and talk about masturbation? So they
know they're normal and don't feel like freaks? So they can maybe get a
few new cool ideas from their friends? It's not enough for glossy teen
magazines to say masturbation is normal, it has to be encouraged into
discussion. The bed sheets have to be torn up, the lights flicked
on! Girls don't have to sit around exchanging blow-by-blow accounts of
their experiences, but they sure shouldn't have to feel like they're a
shameful secret to be buried under the mattress.
Yeah, I'm pretty open with
sex. I sure do like it :) I could always sit around with my girlfriends
and relate my sexual adventures, and they'd talk about theirs too. Masturbation?
Somehow that never found its way into the conversation. We just never
went there.
I wanted to, though. Yes,
I *knew* it was normal, I knew it was fine, I knew everyone did it - but
hell, what I would've given to TALK to someone who did it!
Sometimes knowing everyone
does it isn't enough.
Ai. I tell my girlfriend
pretty much every friggin little thing that goes down (hem) in my life.
It's one of the reasons I love her so much. Yet everytime we skirt around
the subject of masturbation, I sort of stop short of coming right out and
saying anything about it. Of asking questions. Of exchanging ideas. It's
not like it's a great big block in our relationship or anything, in fact
it's not at all. But I'd kind of like to. Just to reach that level of closeness,
of confidance. I'm sure I could actually. But something always holds me
back. .I'm worried. About embarrassing or offending her, or humiliating
myself.
So much for being sexually
open :P
It's the same damned old
problem girls everywhere have. Yeah everyone does it, you just don't talk
about
it. Instead, keep it bottled up, wonder if you really are normal, why don't
you like it if everyone else does, nice girls don't do it, real girls don't
need it, womyn don't need to be sexually gratified unless it's a man there
doing it for you, never mind he thinks your clit's located in the digestive
system, and your friends - and girlfriend - would sure as hell think
you're creepy if you talked about it, even if she does love you and supports
you in everything you say or do.
So basically, I knuckled
down to write this as a kick up my own ass to stop being so damed scared.
;)
There are all kinds of slang
names for vaginas. Most of them coined by men, or used mainly by men. And
alot of them have become synonymous with insults, even if that wasn't their
original meaning. They're often used degradingly. Many womyn don't like
to use these terms. They like to create their own, that conjure up beautiful
images, sound less harsh, and are more individual. Here are some of the
site maintainer's favourites.
The Ruby Slipper
Raspberry Swirl
Lotus Blososm
Cunt (you read right.
See Mythology and History
to find out why!)
Fiery Diamond (clitoris)
Cunnus Diaboli (devilish
cunt....rrrrowr!)
Vagina Dentata
A
list of gorgeous and succulent names for the yoni, in Arabic
There's a bizarre new trend
out there and it's called "Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation". Frankly, the very
thought of it sickens us. It involves reconstruction of the vagina - in
particular the labia majora and minora - for a more "pleasing" appearance.
It's plastic surgery in the same sense as getting a nose or a boob job.
Except this time they're taking the scalpel between your legs! cringe
Dr
Alter and
Dr Matlock
(both men, surprise surprise) have websites on the subject. Check them
out for full details on what the surgery entails. Look at the before and
after shots on Dr Alter's site. Frankly, we're having difficulty seeing
the dire need for the surgery in any of the vaginas shown. So, who sets
the standard for a good-looking vagina anyway? Where has the criteria been
listed? Books such as Femalia
(Down There Press, edited by Joni Blank) clearly show that vaginas come
in all shapes and sizes, colors and textures, that they are as varied and
unique as a fingerprint. Yet there are dozens of womyn out there going
in to have labiaplasty purely for cosmetic reasons. If the purpose
of this surgery were purely for womyn whose lower lips cause them pain
or discomfort because of their length or shape, we'd have no bones about
it. But the facts are, most womyn are getting it done because they feel
their vulvas are not attractive enough. Where are they getting this idea
from? Jen Loy covers the subject in this
article. Apparently, only around 10% of the womyn having the
surgery have a real physical need for it. The others are getting it done
because media and society have taught them that anything less than what
you'll find between the covers of Penthouse is "abnormal". We're not here
to dictate to a womyn how to run her body, but we don't think these plastic
surgeons should either. It seems like just another form of genital mutilation,
arising from a society which isn't content to make womyn feel selfconscious
about their noses, boobs, bums and tummies - now the surgeon's light is
on our pussies too. And for some reason it just seems all the more horrific.
Perhaps it's because we've spent the last few years reclaiming our vaginas
for the beautiful things they are, reteaching ourselves to not be ashamed
of them, the way they look or the way they work, the last taboo we confront
in learning to be comfortable with our bodies despite the barrage of media
telling us otherwise. Labiaplasty seems the final insult. It's not our
place to tell a womyn what to do with her body, but we want to encourage
her to really think hard and examine why she wants it done. Has she had
any complaints? Maybe she needs to rethink her choice in men, as opposed
to the look of her pussy. We want womyn to realise that her genitals are
a part of the essence of herself, they are as unique as she is, and she
should feel no need to change them because of outside influence. We want
womyn to continue to put their foot down and be themselves, and to keep
the vaginas they were born with. Get yourself a copy of femalia and say
'no' to vagina surgery for cosmetic reasons. If you also feel strongly
about this, put this image on your page with the following code and help
encourage womyn to be happy with themselves.
<!--BEGIN CODE--><a
href="http://witch.drak.net/gorgon/vagina.html#protest" target="_blank"><img
src="http://witch.drak.net/gorgon/handsoff.gif" alt="Saying NO to vagina
cosmetic surgery!" border=0></a><!--END CODE-->
