If My Vagina Could Talk it would say "That's what she said."

For the past few years I have been longing to play one of two parts on stage 1. Lady M in a full production. 2. Be part of the Vagina Monologues. I like playing the part of strong women, I can't help it, I am a woman, I am strong, it's only natural.

This semester acting dream numero two come true when I was cast in the Athens Vagina Monologues (by Eve Ensler). I would get to do the Intro to the Show and introduce and preform in I was There In the Room.

To be honest, before I became part of the show I considered my self a feminist but a shy one, a feminist who hated to wear bikini's, not because of fear of objectification but out of fear that I would not even be worth that. I would stand in front of the mirror examining myself in my bathing suit looking at my thighs, my arms, my belly, even my feet were not above my scorn. I even HATED wearing flip flops because of a large scar on my toe (it's not from anything epic...I lost a fight with a low lying hotel refrigerator when I was 10). I even thought my vagina was gross, not because of anything it was or did or looked-but because it existed.

There is something about getting down on all fours in front of an audience of 200, though, and trying to look my own powderbox in a full length mirror (I was wearing pants, no vagayjays were exposed during the making /preforming of the show) illustrating the difficulty of even seeing my "down theres" that made me forget everything I thought about it. The more I listened to the other women preform pieces where they talk about the wonder of their mushmellows, their awe of their VAs, and their acceptance of their coochisnortchers the more I became aware that my Gladis Seagalman is a part of me, deserving as much respect, tenderness, and acceptance as any other part of me.

This show changed me. I never knew it would have this effect on my life when I was in tenth grade trying to figure out what exactly the show was about. Now three years later, I walked on stage declaring that consita's deserve both awe and reverence. They sacrifice themselves to push us into the world.

I was not the only one the show changed. But that's their story and not mine to tell. I can only say this-
If my vagina got dressed it would wear a folded plaid bandanna and a t-shirt with a peace sign on it.
If my vagina could talk it would say "That's what she said."

Fight violence against women, fight when it comes from the world, your friends, neighbors, media, strangers, and especially yourself. Keep fighting until the violence stops.