"People with Vaginas"? Feminist Critiques of Gender and Language

How does Our Bodies Ourselves address the relationship between gender and anatomy? How is it best to refer to typically female reproduction and sexual anatomy? After all, not everyone who menstruates, gets pregnant, gives birth, has an abortion, etc., is a woman. Trans men and non-binary people do all of these things as well.

Understanding the medical and psychosocial harm that comes to gender-expansive people when their existence is erased by binary language, Our Bodies Ourselves uses gender-inclusive language whenever possible. For example, we often use non-binary terminology (e.g. “menstruators”) when referring to people who have specific biological functions.

However, the vast majority of people who experience these reproductive and sexual functions identify as women and girls. Further, the overwhelming majority of the clinical, public health, and social science research on these issues has focused specifically on women. The legal and cultural regimes in most if not all countries are organized so that women suffer disparate treatment. For example, in many cases laws that criminalize abortion specifically target women, are constructed around gender binaries, and are rooted in patriarchy and colonization.

Many feminists use terms such as “people with uteruses,” aiming to be gender inclusive. For example, Pussypedia proposes “a new gender-and-organ-inclusive use of the word, “Pussy,” which means “some combination of vagina, vulva, clitoris, uterus, bladder, urethra, rectum, anus, and who knows maybe some testes.” Pussypedia continues,

The word "vagina" comes from the Latin word for “sword holder.” We are not down with the idea that vaginas exist as objects of service to penises. Also, "vagina" only refers to the [birth] canal. When we refer to the canal, we still call it “vagina.” If we call the whole thing a "vagina," we ignore a bunch of other important parts, including everything you see on the outside and the clitoris which is made of the same tissues as a penis, about the same size as one, and responsible for our orgasms. (We wish we didn't have to refer back to penises to make this point about how important the clitoris is!) If we call it a "vulva" we ignore the vagina and everything else inside. So, we're using "pussy" to mean the whole thing.

While some of our resources use these terms, to many of us they can be at least as problematic as binary language. Misogynist men and powerful social institutions have tried to reduce women to our sexual and reproductive functions since the dawn of patriarchy, denying our full humanity. Terminology such as “people with vaginas” can smack of this kind of reductionism. Understandably, many women experience it as objectifying, offensive, and even triggering to refer to us by our vaginas, menstruation, pregnancy, or even “pussies.”

So, Our Bodies Ourselves uses both gender inclusive and gendered language, depending on context. We work hard to be as sensitive and inclusive as possible, recognizing that not everyone will be satisfied. While it’s all but inevitable, we hate the thought that any of our users might feel unseen, marginalized, or otherwise upset by it. So let us reiterate here that, whatever your gender identification and anatomy, we see you and we built this site with you in mind. You belong here. Welcome!