VideoIf you can’t say it, don’t legislate it.

As the War on Women rages on, anti-woman forces – primarily a cadre of ultra-conservative men – continue to beef up their offensive troops. They now have Paul Ryan “a no abortions ever” kind of guy, teaming up with Mitt “I’ve always been pro-life” Romney, and together, they’ve created a party platform that represents the biggest threat to Roe v Wade we’ve seen thus far.

New to the frontline, we’ve been introduced to the rogue soldier, Representative Todd Akin, a Missouri candidate for the U.S. Senate. In a recent interview, Rep. Akin was seen munching on a tasty foot in his mouth as he expressed his belief that in most cases of “legitimate” rape, “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” thereby preventing pregnancy. Sadly, he isn’t the only politician who actually believes this absurd theory, nor does he stand alone in his justification for excluding rape-induced pregnancies in legislation that would restrict abortion funding.

Though our battles have escalated in the 2012 presidential campaign, women have long been besieged by fundamentalist religious groups, a male-dominated government, and society at large. It wasn’t until the 19^th Amendment was ratified in 1920, that women were granted the right to vote. Finally, we were allowed to raise our political voices, even if we would not be spared continuing efforts to silence us. We’re now all too aware that a strong declaration of opinion can lead to consequences. The duality of our political system was clearly exposed when Michigan’s State Rep. Lisa Brown, was censured for using the word “vagina” during a debate on abortion rights. Politicizing the word “vagina” helped mobilize many of us who had grown a little too accustomed to minding our manners.

If you can say it, display it.

Women have continued to say “vagina.”

Some even seek to destigmatize other descriptive terms for female genitalia, speaking – what may still be to many – the unspeakable. Others, the more demonstrative among us, are showing their vaginas (or vaginae…) to the world in a no-skirt-lifting fashion, through various forms of artistic expression. Vagina art may not be a new concept, but it is a window to society’s changing regard for women throughout history – from divine worship to oppression and repression.

Instead of conforming to expectations of “good girl” behavior, we’re seeing an emergence of newly empowered and emboldened women who have set up their easels, raided granny’s baskets of crochet hooks, knitting needles, embroidery kits, and hauled the sewing machines down from the attic. The results, as seen in the examples we’ve collected, evoke a broad range of emotions. Laughter. Anger. Sadness. Pride. Each creative effort celebrates the artistry of the individual as well as our collective identity. All have been inspired by “the sacred source of life” –the vagina.

Slideshow Music Courtesy JSP Records “Mama Don’t Allow It” by Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends; Images: Not Your Average Hooker, Hypgnosis, Shine Maverick Jewelry, Hypgnosis, Johnny B Wilde,  Expired Goods, Scarlet Tentacle, Purple Hippo Stitches, I Wear Party Hats, spidercamp, Irma Diaz/SourOctopus, TheVaginaZine, The Tie Dye Bohemian, Alex Florschutz, Adrien Art, Tina Casebeer/wikit626, ©Carrie Reichardt, Alex Florschutz, Woman In Bloom, thepixelrat, The Voting Box , VJazzle, Bridesmaids, Wedding Dress, Protest/CODEPINK, ©Ursula Kölle, Cupcakes, Body Parts Poster, Pink Flannel by Daria, Graffiti, Stenciled Tees/#waronwomen, ampule, the moss girl, ©Lydia Shalanko, Protest/CODEPINK, Scarlet Tentacle, Pochos Cosas, Vulva Love Lovely, Sinful Soap Favors, Family Tree Glass, Delicious Accessories

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A round-up of what we’re reading right now. 

In the mood for better sex dreams? Change your sleeping position. [Via Women’s Health]

Want to impress at your next dinner party? Build your own picnic table to sit at.  [Via Curbly]

The Brooklyn food scene is hot, and what better way to explore it than with a full guide from an expert. [Via Big Girls Small Kitchen]

To say that the Dalai Lama is a wise man would be an understatement. But he also gets social media. 10 gems from his Twitter feed. [Via Ecorazzi]

Cut expenses and toxic chemicals by making your own detergent; it’s easier than you might think. [Via Organic Authority]

An invisible bike helmet? Yes, you read that correctly. [Via MNN]

Hey Todd Akin: a woman is more than twice as likely to get pregnant during a rape than during consensual sex. [Via Popular Science]

If you have a thing for living walls, you’ll love Reykjavik’s City Hall. [Via Treehugger]

Just what do you need to know about Paul Ryan? His take on tax cuts, reductions in social programs and much much more. [Via LearnVest]

Got your eye on late summer glamping? Here are some tips from a pro. [Via CasaSugar]

Image: Jenny Kristina Nilsson

The post Link Love: How to Have Better Sex Dreams, Build a Picnic Table and Be as Wise as the Dalai Lama appeared first on EcoSalon.

A weekly look at sex and culture, by the numbers.

It’s hard being a member of the human species these days—what with all that competition for procreation and all those standards of beauty and gender norms to live up to. This week’s Sex by Numbers takes a look at just how hard.

143: Apparently, men freak out when they’re outnumbered; a study that examined the male-to-female sex ratio in 143 cities found that men spent more money (presumably on things like jewelery and taking women on expensive dates) in cities where women were harder to find.

1.618: A Belgian researcher who surveyed the vaginas of 5,000 women found that those whose measurements were closest to the “golden ratio” of 1.618 (a number derived from the Fibonacci sequence) were the most fertile.

48: When it comes to reporting on the sexual habits of animals, a new study which surveyed 48 articles in popular media found that journalists have a strong tendency to scandalize the findings of evolutionary biologists. The Washington Post headline “Brokeback Mutton” serves as a particularly egregious example.

350,000: It’s long been thought that the small percentage of DNA that Europeans and Asians share with Neanderthals came as a result of interbreeding. However, new evidence suggests that geographic separation that arose 350,000 years ago between Neanderthals and the species that evolved into modern humans is the more likely cause.

15-26: In a French study, waitresses who wore red while waiting tables earned 15 to 26 percent more in tips than their colleagues wearing more subdued hues.

60: When 60 students were presented with two robots—identical except for that one had a head of hair, while the other did not—they were more likely to assign the hairless robot stereotypical male tasks and traits such as “assertive” and  able to “repair technical devices.”

90: “I was mousy on the outside but inside I’m this tiger and I have to get on with it,” so said Helen Gurley Brown, former editor of Cosmopolitan, who was 90 years old when she passed away this week.

14: When it comes to the 14th Amendment, Paul Ryan thinks equal protection rights should be extended to the unborn. However, he seems to not feel the same way about women—a reminder that if Ryan finds his way to the White House, women might find their own species in danger.

Flickr: Wondermoney2k

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