Vagina Monologues

In an interview with The Daily Californian, cast member and former Daily Californian assistant social media editor Zahira Chaudhry described the experience as being “a very physical manifestation of what it feels like to be heard and respected and understood.”

At that point, I was already emotionally and physically exhausted from months of OPHD-enforced isolation and multiple hours of testimonies. The worst part for me was that OPHD forbade me to talk with anyone.

We embrace the notion that womanhood isn’t defined by any one thing and certainly isn’t defined based on whether or not a person has a vagina.

I struggle with the emphasis on women’s modesty in my religion because I fear it risks misplacing culpability for women’s objectification and implying that a certain style of clothing or behavior can be a prerequisite for respect. Being a human being should be the prerequisite for respect, and while I’d argue that many religions, including my own, wholeheartedly agree, the principle gets lost amid discussions of just how long a woman’s skirt should be.

“GET YOUR PUSSY READY,” screamed a performer as she ran up the aisle in Wheeler Auditorium during a rehearsal for Berkeley’s 13th annual performance of “The Vagina Monologues.”