woc can rock body hair too
i originally wrote this article about body hair, but reading it back, i find it disgustingly white feminist-y. what i naively perceived as my internalization of female objectification was actually the product of my desire to assimilate to white beauty standards. when i think back about who actually made me feel insecure about my body hair, i felt a much stronger pressure to shave from women in my life than from men. in fact, my dad was the biggest advocate for the lil black hairs that i relentlessly exterminated, and never once has a boyfriend expressed a desire for me to shave more.
whether it was an overheard comment from a white girl expressing her disgust toward a hairier girl in our class or an expression of self deprecation from a brown friend or family member, the women in my life have had the biggest roles in shaping my perceptions toward body hair.
the movement i was unknowingly contributing to when i wrote my previous article is extremely problematic and racist, evident through image after image, tumblr post after tumblr post, of white legs covered in cute fuzzy blonde hairs. for women of color, the grueling hair removal process is not just limited to armpits and legs, but it often also includes back, stomach, face, boobs, etc. i've waged war against my head hair too, obsessively straightening every strand until i could declare myself sufficiently white-passing.
furthermore, a 2017 feminist has to be extremely privileged to still be campaigning for freedom of body hair in the face of all the real issues women around the world face:
if you are a first-world feminist with the privilege and reach to successfully advocate for body image/body hair, consider directing equal or more attention toward instances of gender-based violence that actually result in the physical suffering, torture, or death of less privileged groups of women. i'll admit to misusing my voice and privilege in the past, which i never want to do again.
xo,
hannah