Here's my thing: I have very strong opinions on the language we use to talk about our most intimate parts. When talking about a vagina on this platform, in medical communities or for work, I usually just say 'vagina.' However, if I'm trying to be sexy, I think 'pussy' is fine, and I've actually been able to sort of reclaim it as a word I use often. For example, I feel comfortable saying "my pussy doesn't like the way this underwear feels."
However (and maybe this makes me old-fashioned or lame but I don't care), I think some words, like 'twat' and 'cunt' are just plain gross and offensive and you'll never catch me saying them. When talking to kids, I take advice from a book by Philly-based pleasure educators called 'Sex is a Funny Word.' I use the term 'middle parts,' because they're in the middle of our bodies. The book argues that 'private parts' creates a culture of shame and secrecy around our 'middle parts.' HOWEVER, (there's always a caveat) I do think it's important to teach kids that they shouldn't go around showing their middle parts to strangers in the grocery store, and that if ANY adult asks to see them in a way that feels unsafe that they should tell somebody.
But how to we teach this to kids without inherently feeding into the culture of secrecy and shame around our body? What are your thoughts on this? What do you call your 'middle parts?' What did your parents teach you? What did you unlearn?
However (and maybe this makes me old-fashioned or lame but I don't care), I think some words, like 'twat' and 'cunt' are just plain gross and offensive and you'll never catch me saying them. When talking to kids, I take advice from a book by Philly-based pleasure educators called 'Sex is a Funny Word.' I use the term 'middle parts,' because they're in the middle of our bodies. The book argues that 'private parts' creates a culture of shame and secrecy around our 'middle parts.' HOWEVER, (there's always a caveat) I do think it's important to teach kids that they shouldn't go around showing their middle parts to strangers in the grocery store, and that if ANY adult asks to see them in a way that feels unsafe that they should tell somebody.
But how to we teach this to kids without inherently feeding into the culture of secrecy and shame around our body? What are your thoughts on this? What do you call your 'middle parts?' What did your parents teach you? What did you unlearn?
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