Pussy Hats

Last year, there was a campaign among conservative, mostly southern, women to condemn the iconic pink hats as representing vaginas. My husband encountered some of this when he was asked to remove his hat because it made some women uncomfortable. He asked why a pink knitted hat would make someone uncomfortable, and he was told it was vulgar. We live in the Philadelphia suburbs.

I see that this lie, that the hats are meant to represent female genitalia, is being resurrected to, I believe, discourage their wearing during the protests planned for the 20th. The images of seas of pink headgear were moving and powerful, and I can understand Trump supporters' not wanting to have to confront the photos these hats invite.

Now objections arise that not all women have vaginas, that the pink color is disrespectful of women of color. This is bullshit of the first order.

Pussy hats do not represent vaginas. They represent *cat* heads--the ears, an essential element of the hats, are a big clue. Vaginas do not have ears that stick up on either side. They are called pussy hats--i.e. pussycat hats--because "pussy" is the term Donald Trump used to describe vulvas--not vaginas, which are internal, but vulvas, which are what a person could grab. It's a clever use of the villain's own terms--taking back the insult, if you will, and making it our own by redefining it.

I hope everyone who marches will wear a pussy hat.