This rather cursed screenshot was sent to us, and we regret to inform you that quite a lot of people seem to believe this myth, and related myths surrounding the vulva.
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This rather cursed screenshot was sent to us, and we regret to inform you that quite a lot of people seem to believe this myth, and related myths surrounding the vulva. These myths been around for literal millennia, even though there is no rooting whatsoever in reality. Let's take a little look at the history of misogyny and racism inherent in this belief...
@vagina_museum tell me you don't fuck without telling me you don't fuck vibes lol
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However, what is clear is that a hell of a lot of European men since Ancient Greece had some pretty gnarly attitudes about how the appearance of the vulva said something about the character of the person.
The general prevailing belief was that clitorises and larger labia minora were not really something that Nice White Women had. A vulva that wasn't "an innie" (a phrase not used in history) indicated some sort of masculinity - perhaps lesbianism, perhaps promiscuity, perhaps being a bad wife.
Larger labia, to a European physician for a hell of a lot of history, basically indicated that it belonged to a woman who transgressed patriarchy in some way.
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The general prevailing belief was that clitorises and larger labia minora were not really something that Nice White Women had. A vulva that wasn't "an innie" (a phrase not used in history) indicated some sort of masculinity - perhaps lesbianism, perhaps promiscuity, perhaps being a bad wife.
Larger labia, to a European physician for a hell of a lot of history, basically indicated that it belonged to a woman who transgressed patriarchy in some way.
There was a hefty degree of racism to this belief too. European physicians and authors believed that larger labia were something that African women had, not Nice White Women.
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@delawen @vagina_museum yeah, definitely
i imagine this could also really mess up the self image of a cis girl that has not had sex before
there's also the built-in assumption that it's somehow bad for a girl or woman not to be a virgin. come on, ugh
it's all-around just an awful thing to say and believe@lumi @vagina_museum On the "bright" side, I know some women with a very high body count that could fool these idiots to believe they are absolute virgins... As if someone wanted to do that.
Maybe I'm old enough to value experience now. Or I have enough confidence in myself that I don't care being compared with previous partners. That person is fucking me now, and it is a bonus if they come with enough experience to know what they do! Go get them girl!
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There was a hefty degree of racism to this belief too. European physicians and authors believed that larger labia were something that African women had, not Nice White Women.
Saartjie Baartman, a Black Khoisan woman from present-day South Africa was transported to Britain in 1810. She was exhibited in a freak show act under the name "The Hottentot Venus", with great attention drawn to her labia and her buttocks.
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@lumi @vagina_museum On the "bright" side, I know some women with a very high body count that could fool these idiots to believe they are absolute virgins... As if someone wanted to do that.
Maybe I'm old enough to value experience now. Or I have enough confidence in myself that I don't care being compared with previous partners. That person is fucking me now, and it is a bonus if they come with enough experience to know what they do! Go get them girl!
@delawen @vagina_museum honestly, if someone cares about your body count, run away
life is too short to deal with them
i want to be with people that value me as a person, not that care about dumb metrics -
This rather cursed screenshot was sent to us, and we regret to inform you that quite a lot of people seem to believe this myth, and related myths surrounding the vulva. These myths been around for literal millennia, even though there is no rooting whatsoever in reality. Let's take a little look at the history of misogyny and racism inherent in this belief...
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@lumi @vagina_museum @doombloomart
I think it's meant to be a magical process where it reacts to changes in partners, not to The One True Dick which arrives first.
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@lumi @vagina_museum @doombloomart
I think it's meant to be a magical process where it reacts to changes in partners, not to The One True Dick which arrives first.
@celesteh @vagina_museum @doombloomart my gock is the gock that will pierce the heavens
yes, i did feel the need to make a tengen toppa gurren lagann reference -
@farah I don’t want to get all “why men?” but…
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@lumi @vagina_museum Probably not cis women, we can just check ourselves before and after losing the virginity and see that's not true.
@delawen @lumi @vagina_museum
My midwife claimed that there are many women who don't know well enough how their genitals look like.
So we're speaking of a group of mainly cis-women, in their 20s and 30s, who had intercourse at least once in their lifes, more or less well informed and being long enough in Germany that they have the language skills to attend a birth preperation class (so the cultural barrier can't be that high). Still can't wrap my head around this. -
@delawen @lumi @vagina_museum
My midwife claimed that there are many women who don't know well enough how their genitals look like.
So we're speaking of a group of mainly cis-women, in their 20s and 30s, who had intercourse at least once in their lifes, more or less well informed and being long enough in Germany that they have the language skills to attend a birth preperation class (so the cultural barrier can't be that high). Still can't wrap my head around this.@kawunngg @delawen @vagina_museum i can't remember who it was, but there was this presentation by a US republican cis woman that got so many things wrong that i was extremely confused
like, this is your body you're talking about -
Saartjie Baartman, a Black Khoisan woman from present-day South Africa was transported to Britain in 1810. She was exhibited in a freak show act under the name "The Hottentot Venus", with great attention drawn to her labia and her buttocks.
So, in short, the myth is misogynistic and racist af. And just in case anyone needs to hear it today:
Something as insignificant as a penis cannot possibly change the appearance of the vulva -
@vagina_museum people ... actually believe this stuff?
@lumi replace “people” with 'men'.
@vagina_museum -
So, in short, the myth is misogynistic and racist af. And just in case anyone needs to hear it today:
Something as insignificant as a penis cannot possibly change the appearance of the vulvaThe depressing thing is that this myth isn't just niche, even a quarter of the way through the 21st century. One of our least favourite objects in our collection is a medical textbook outlining the difference between "true" and "false" virgins based on labia shape, size and colour. It was published in 2012. https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/muffbusters/2d-textbook
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@vagina_museum people ... actually believe this stuff?
@lumi @vagina_museum For example, at 16 on her first visit to the gynecologist, a friend was asked by the doctor if she wanted him to “fix” her labia. She thought there was something medically wrong until her mom said it wasn’t covered by insurance and she started to put two and two together. -
So, in short, the myth is misogynistic and racist af. And just in case anyone needs to hear it today:
Something as insignificant as a penis cannot possibly change the appearance of the vulva -
@lumi @vagina_museum For example, at 16 on her first visit to the gynecologist, a friend was asked by the doctor if she wanted him to “fix” her labia. She thought there was something medically wrong until her mom said it wasn’t covered by insurance and she started to put two and two together.
@hypolite @vagina_museum that is so messed up
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@hypolite @vagina_museum that is so messed up
@lumi @vagina_museum It really is, and it shows it isn't confined to the manosphere on X. they just are empowered to say this sort of stuff out loud. -
The depressing thing is that this myth isn't just niche, even a quarter of the way through the 21st century. One of our least favourite objects in our collection is a medical textbook outlining the difference between "true" and "false" virgins based on labia shape, size and colour. It was published in 2012. https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/muffbusters/2d-textbook
We are a tiny museum, trying to set the record straight and unpack several thousand years of white supremacist patriarchy. It's a gargantuan task and we need your help to undertake it. Please donate what you can to help the Vagina Museum to bust myths and break taboos! https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/support
