Last week I wrote an article about The Vagina Monologues.  I, however, didn’t have to opportunity to discuss one of the monologues that I found particularly important. There was a very powerful performance about a woman who reclaimed the word c*nt. It was a long speech about how amazing the word can be. The performance connected it to words like cute, curvy, and tantalizing (just to name a few of my favorites). The monologue ended with the entire audience joining in the chanting of the word.

I wanted so badly to discuss the performance in my article but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I felt like I’d be betraying the performance by censoring parts of it because C U Next Tuesday cannot be printed in a newspaper. I understand why the rule is there, some people use words as weapons, but it didn’t feel right to present my newly founded word of empowerment in the position of a taboo. I think that c*nt should not be censored. Some words only have the power you give them.

I think it’s important to reclaim “the hard c” because in doing so women are given the opportunity to reclaim the discourse of their vaginas in general. Women need to control the discussion of their vaginas and how they are being discussed, in order for women to actually have agency over their bodies. So while I am empowered by the word “c*nt”, no one should be talking about mine without my permission (@ cat callers).