Students at Fordham University recently hosted a production of “The Vagina Monologues” that did not require presenters to have … a vagina. It’s the latest among several student productions that have amended the venerable play to be more inclusive to biological men who identify as women.
The student producers at Fordham University even added an asterisk to the name, calling it the “The Vagina* Monologues” to showcase that the event is all inclusive.
“It was emphasized ― in promotional materials, as well as at the show itself ― that the title of the show had been amended. The word ‘Vagina’ bore an asterisk, indicating that the show is meant for ‘*any vaginas, all vaginas’ and ‘not just vaginas,'” according to the Fordham Observer.
“The push for inclusivity was visible in the diverse array of identities and experiences of the performers as well as the subjects they chose to present to their audiences. The show featured monologues discussing sexual violence, gender and sexual identity, and misogyny,” it added.
Fordham is not the only university at which “The Vagina Monologues” has welcomed women without vaginas. It’s become something of a trend as more and more young people embrace gender-fluid philosophies that teach biological sex is a social construct.
However, some feminist scholars have actually begun to push back against this theory, arguing that if their progressive feminist peers say there is no natural connection between biology and gender, then what does it mean to be a woman? If you don’t get any of your identity from your biological sex, you have dissolved what it means to be a woman into some postmodern social construction.
Taking that a step further, some feminists then sound the alarm, asking: “How can we fight for women’s rights if it’s not tied to our bodies?”
As the debate between feminists on this issue unfolds, trends on campuses, such as the deconstruction of “The Vagina Monologues,” continue.
MORE: Middlebury College stages vagina-optional ‘Vagina Monologues’
MORE: UC Berkeley ‘Vagina Monologues’ to include those without vaginas
MORE: Female college scraps ‘vagina monologues,’ offensive to women without vaginas
MORE: White Actresses Barred From Columbia University’s Vagina Monologues
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