Reclaiming P U S S Y on International Women's Day 2014

RonTheLogician · 03-08-2014, 03:03 AM

Hello Danny,

For whatever reason, I notice that you have at least once expressed distress at the anatomical use of the word p u s s y. I'm glad that you have a sense of humor about the subject, as this makes me optimistic I might reduce or even quench your anxieties on this subject - which I frankly find rather curious. Anyway, this is the sole reason I am making this post. Perhaps other people will offer additional suggestions on how we can work together to detoxify words which should simply be descriptive, and not hurtful or degrading.

It happens that the Scandinavian countries have played a key role in liberalizing popular knowledge about, and acceptance of, sexuality. e.g. Denmark was the first country in the world to legitimize written pornography in 1967, followed by pictorial pornography in 1969. As for Sweden,

...the Swedish Association for Sex Education (Riksf?rbundet f?r sexuellupplysning, RFSU)... was founded in 1933... The RFSU had a broad programme: its principle demands included the abolition of the [anti-] Contraceptive Law, free contraceptives for the poor, the establishment of guidance bureaux throughout the country, the right to abortion, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts. But its foremost aim was for the introduction of sex education in all schools and educational establishments.

from Chapter 4, Shaping Sexual Knowledge - A Cultural History of Sex Education in Twentieth Century Europe (Routledge 2008)

Today, the RFSU describes itself this way:

RFSU, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, is a politically and religiously independent organization dedicated to promoting an unprejudiced and open-minded attitude to sex and relationship issues... RFSU is a non-profit organisation independent of any political party or religion. We are dedicated to promoting a well-informed, open-minded attitude to sexuality and relationship issues.

SEX: YOUR OWN WAY - A booklet about sex for teens (RFSU 2013) writes the following:

There are a huge number of nicknames for genitals... Some words fit in one context and others in another, which is why we need several different words... It can also be good to use words that everyone understands, like p u s s y and c o c k. These are common words that many people associate with sex and arousal. Everyone knows that these words can be used negatively sometimes. Words like p u s s y and c o c k can be used as insults that cause varying degrees of offence. Many people are not comfortable with all the available words, and we should respect that, but here at RFSU, we think that p u s s y and c o c k are basically positive words, because they also include the outer parts of the genitals, which are so important for sexual pleasure.

And in Pussypedia: What every woman needs to know about her genitals (RFSU 2008), author Tina Nevin adds:

Why Pussypedia? Since not every woman uses the word p u s s y to refer to her genitals, some people might think I have chosen this title to be provocative... There is a lack of strong, positive words for the female genitalia, and those that do exist are often used as terms of abuse. This was my reasoning in using the title Pussypedia. I believe that women need a sexual name for their genitals, and that it is up to women to lay claim to the word p u s s y, or the name used in any language with the same sexual value, and free it from the more offensive sense in which it refers to a woman as a sex object...

Which words and manners of verbal expression are conventionally offensive or insulting has varied tremendously over time. Very few people know this! Finally, in 2013 Britain's venerable Oxford University Press issued a wonderful, new, scholarly 336-page book titled Holy Sh*t - A Brief History of Swearing. Anyone who has found themselves distressed by the use of a taboo word, or has merely wondered how such a taboo ever emerged, would be greatly edified by reading this book, available for the Kindle from Amazon at just under $10. My only problem with the book's title is that I think it would have been more faithful to its contents had it instead been Holy F*cking Sh*t!

- The seriously too cute RtL

03-08-2014, 03:03 AM	#1
RonTheLogician In Love with Danielle Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 189	Reclaiming P U S S Y on International Women's Day 2014 Hello Danny, For whatever reason, I notice that you have at least once expressed distress at the anatomical use of the word p u s s y. I'm glad that you have a sense of humor about the subject, as this makes me optimistic I might reduce or even quench your anxieties on this subject - which I frankly find rather curious. Anyway, this is the sole reason I am making this post. Perhaps other people will offer additional suggestions on how we can work together to detoxify words which should simply be descriptive, and not hurtful or degrading. It happens that the Scandinavian countries have played a key role in liberalizing popular knowledge about, and acceptance of, sexuality. e.g. Denmark was the first country in the world to legitimize written pornography in 1967, followed by pictorial pornography in 1969. As for Sweden, ...the Swedish Association for Sex Education (Riksf?rbundet f?r sexuellupplysning, RFSU)... was founded in 1933... The RFSU had a broad programme: its principle demands included the abolition of the [anti-] Contraceptive Law, free contraceptives for the poor, the establishment of guidance bureaux throughout the country, the right to abortion, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts. But its foremost aim was for the introduction of sex education in all schools and educational establishments. from Chapter 4, Shaping Sexual Knowledge - A Cultural History of Sex Education in Twentieth Century Europe (Routledge 2008) Today, the RFSU describes itself this way: RFSU, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, is a politically and religiously independent organization dedicated to promoting an unprejudiced and open-minded attitude to sex and relationship issues... RFSU is a non-profit organisation independent of any political party or religion. We are dedicated to promoting a well-informed, open-minded attitude to sexuality and relationship issues. SEX: YOUR OWN WAY - A booklet about sex for teens (RFSU 2013) writes the following: There are a huge number of nicknames for genitals... Some words fit in one context and others in another, which is why we need several different words... It can also be good to use words that everyone understands, like p u s s y and c o c k. These are common words that many people associate with sex and arousal. Everyone knows that these words can be used negatively sometimes. Words like p u s s y and c o c k can be used as insults that cause varying degrees of offence. Many people are not comfortable with all the available words, and we should respect that, but here at RFSU, we think that p u s s y and c o c k are basically positive words, because they also include the outer parts of the genitals, which are so important for sexual pleasure. And in Pussypedia: What every woman needs to know about her genitals (RFSU 2008), author Tina Nevin adds: Why Pussypedia? Since not every woman uses the word p u s s y to refer to her genitals, some people might think I have chosen this title to be provocative... There is a lack of strong, positive words for the female genitalia, and those that do exist are often used as terms of abuse. This was my reasoning in using the title Pussypedia. I believe that women need a sexual name for their genitals, and that it is up to women to lay claim to the word p u s s y, or the name used in any language with the same sexual value, and free it from the more offensive sense in which it refers to a woman as a sex object... Which words and manners of verbal expression are conventionally offensive or insulting has varied tremendously over time. Very few people know this! Finally, in 2013 Britain's venerable Oxford University Press issued a wonderful, new, scholarly 336-page book titled Holy Sht - A Brief History of Swearing. Anyone who has found themselves distressed by the use of a taboo word, or has merely wondered how such a taboo ever emerged, would be greatly edified by reading this book, available for the Kindle from Amazon at just under $10. My only problem with the book's title is that I think it would have been more faithful to its contents had it instead been Holy Fcking Sht! - The seriously too cute* RtL