Some gals on campus organized a Vagina Monologues event and it pretty much blew my mind!
Normally, when women gather to talk about how great they are, I roll my eyes just as I would any other kind of ego-stroking activity. What generally makes women's empowerment events such a turn-off to me is that they nearly always include man-bashing. From my perspective, this is dumb, but I happen to be a man and my women friends tell me that that makes me biased.
In my past experiences, femi-nazi, man-hating women are unpleasant to be around so I generally make every effort to avoid any kind of event that facilitates greater emotion against men. I prefer that a woman would hate me because of something I do, rather than hate me for being something I cannot change.
That said, when I got dragged to the V-Day presentation, and roped into helping out with it, I was extremely skeptical about how it would all go down. I sat and listened to story after story and was nothing short of blown away! This wasn't just another man-bashing seminar - this was an "I'm proud of myself" demonstration! It was amazing! They touched on topics that don't really get touched - they moved us all with their passion and performance - they convinced a skeptic of the value of the Vagina Monologues.
This event served to responsibly empower women to be proud of themselves and their vaginas, without demonizing men. It was a chance for them to celebrate their previously unmentionable underparts on a platform that allowed them safety to be proud of being a woman, while educating the audience about them and about their value. Beyond simply being moving, as a man, I found each performance to be incredibly insightful into the different aspects of a woman's life and perspective on life, that each of these women seemed to share. I learned things about women, and their vaginas, that I never would have discovered otherwise and I am so incredibly grateful to know these ladies!
I was truly moved by my friends' presentations. I think it was extra special for me, though, because I know all of them and I could see how they identified with their characters. They were all soooo great! I could go on and on, but still wouldn't do justice to their accomplishments.
Below are some low quality video files of some of the presentations. I regret that I could not post all of them due to file size and youtube limitations. Get your volume control ready - you'll need to turn it up because the sound is so poor - but hang in their, because the performances are so rich!
The gals ran this show as a fundraiser, as is typical for the Vagina Monologues. Every Vagina Monologue presentation contributes 10% of its earnings to a spotlight cause. This year, the spotlight is on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rape and violence against women is being used as an instrument of war. The other 90% gets donated to an organization of the performers' choosing. They chose the Women's Freedom Organization in Iraq. In total, they raised over 600 USD! Nice work, ladies!!! I'm so proud of all of you!
Like grant proposals through the hands of USAID, these are the projects of my life!
Friday, April 17, 2009
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6 comments:
I'm still skeptical - it just seems arrogant and unnecessary. Would you watch a show called "My Biceps," where I personified my biceps and talked about how great they were? "My biceps would wear a top hat!" Who cares? Why would that be interesting?
"rather than hate me for being something I cannot change."
Someone isn't thinking outside the box.
at first when i read this i felt that your first two paragraphs were completely ignorant and negate the praise for the campaign that you continue on to write. i still think that it is absolutely ignorant, but actually i am pretty sure that you have never been to a women's rights or empowerment event.
i was born and raised a feminist and of the many events that i have attended, NONE of them-NOT ONE of them has included man bashing. RAPIST bashing--yes! Domestic abuse bashing--yes! But simple man bashing? no. this is not the point. Feminists believe in equal rights for men and women and Radical Feminists (neither of which are hateful groups) simply believe in an overhaul of the patriarchal system that inherently creates an imbalance of power. If explained in the correct terms I think that most men i know are actually radical feminists too.
to use the word Nazi when describing feminist thought is ridiculous. to compare a woman who takes a stand on getting equal pay, equal access to services, and protection from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse with a regime that tortured and murdered millions is just unacceptable.
how is talking about these issues arrogant? these events are for women to gain support after being severely traumatized or to feel like someone understands something that no one ever talks about. I am not sure how it is ego stroking to have events that are for talking about rape as a weapon of war or the affects of sexual abuse on a child. The Vagina Monologues are for women to provide a space that is funny, sad, uncomfortable and informative to people of both sexes..this is narcissim?
And i suppose that raising $600 for women in Irag and the Democratic Republic of Congo-where at one hospital up to 10 cases of sexual abuse are reported per DAY--this is arrogant and unnecessary too?
i don't know how biceps are comprable to talking about vaginas, but actually i WOULD be interested in hearing men talk about their penises in a sincere and vulnerable way, what it means to be abused and/or to grow up male in their respective cultures.
andrew, i am disappointed in you-it seems like you too have been brainwashed by the backlash of the women's rights movement and anonymous: i hope to see you next vday!
VIVA LA VLOVE!!!
Dear Anonymous 1 (Skeptical),
I understand your skepticism, and as I pointed out, I too was skeptical. Before I experienced it, I thought exactly the same - but at the end of the day, it wasn't arrogant, or unnecessary. It was celebratory, entertaining, and enlightening! I encourage you to test your skepticism and find a Vagina Monologue to experience. As to the biceps bit - actually, a few days before VDay, there was a Male Monologue in which some of the guy students talked about what it is to be a man in their respective countries. Some would (and did) argue that it was even more moving than the Vagina Monologues.
Dear NJR,
Yes... I didn't consider that... Clever. After VDay, I guess all my thoughts were within the box. =)
Dear Anonymous 2 (Femi-nazi),
Different points you make directly relate to what I've written, and others do not. If you took note, I wrote about "my past experiences" of which you can not tell me do not exist. Negating them, negates your rant.
I've been not befriended because I am a man. I've been in conversations where women degrade men for no other reason than the fact that they are men (and PERHAPS they've been wronged by a man in the past and made a decision to hate all men in the future). I've seen women make hiring decisions based not upon the "equal rights" of which you speak, but solely on gender. I've listened to women preach of gender equality and overhauling "the patriarchal system that inherently creates an imbalance of power" when it is to their advantage - but they are absolutely silent when it is not.
My point in writing this was not to further this debate - it is to identify that the Vagina Monologues is not part of it, as many have come to assume (including Anonymous 1, and previously myself). The Vagina Monologues is an amazing platform for women to highlight aspects of their lives - their unfortunate and fortunate experiences, the different ways in which they are affected by society, etc. It's an event that gives power and comfort to women who share in any of those aspects and it gives understanding to men who could not possibly share these things. In my experience, it was a beautiful thing for all and it developed within me a great respect for this particular type of feminism.
Unfortunately, when I hear emotional outbursts such as yours (nothing new, by the way), I conclude one thing: gender-passionate folks are the least tolerant folks I know. I wrote about an eye opening experience that led me to praising strong women and because you do not understand "my past experiences" you jump to conclusions and make wild assumptions. So let me ask you a question: How ignorant is your own arrogance? Is that perhaps a bit unacceptable?
Glad you liked my blog!
Love,
Andrew!
Yes, equal rights is not special rights.
-The New Minority
I bet some men groups would like to talk to you about their penis's
:)
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