It's frustrating sometimes that as a cis female, I am only qualified to give my own limited take on #freeTheNipple. I often say, "what more clearly demonstrates the #sexist#misogynist nonsense of #toplessEquality than how #censorship is applied to #Trans#nonbinary and #genderfluid people? At what point do you "look female" or "look male" enough to lose or gain the right to post your #nipples online without them getting banned?"
I struggle with figuring out the verbiage to point out this hypocrisy without it sounding like I'm making assumptions about how non-CIS female-presenting people feel about this. I know posting your nipples on the internet or going without a shirt at the beach/park/gym/etc anywhere that a CIS man would be allowed to without any problem can be embarrassing if not dangerous--at the least, ostracizing friends and family, maybe losing your job; at the most, getting jail time (see the woman in Utah who was charged with "child abuse" for briefly being topless in front of her adolescent step kids while changing out of a drywall-covered shirt) or stalked/physically endangered. It's a big "toothpaste out of the tube" moment that many people don't have the privilege of exercising in protest. So of course I don't blame people for their reluctance to brazenly put their heinous "female-looking nipples" out there for the judgemental, puritanical world to see like I do.
It's just that, as I said at the start, there's only so much I can say about this as a CIS woman. How can I encourage more people who are not CIS to also talk about this, even if they don't show their own nipples?
(I apologize if I've used any problematic terms here--I'm honestly trying my best)
“... (W)e will not be silent while communities of color endure attacks online by our colleagues,” reads a statement posted to Twitter on Tues. “We can agree to disagree on policy & still be respectful while protecting one’s freedom of speech. Elected officials represent ALL people — our words & actions have consequences & can especially impact underrepresented communities who are already feeling targeted & fearful in the current political climate.”#racism#misogynist