I'm sure most of you have heard of the Eve Ensler play, "The Vagina Monologues." What you may not be aware of is that when this show is performed, the proceeds go to a local domestic violence shelter. In my area, a community college will be performing this show for the 3rd year in a row. OK, so what's the big deal? More below the fold...
The college president has determined that the word "vagina" will be censored from the marquee.
I sent the following email to a bunch of folks (but please read all the way to the end, because there is an interesting addendum to the story):
On Feb. 14 at 7:30 and Feb. 15 at 12:20, Volunteer State Community College will present Eve Ensler's, "The Vagina Monologues." The proceeds will go to a VERY worthy cause: Gallatin HomeSafe, which is a shelter for women and children victims of domestic violence. (More details here: http://www.vscc.cc.tn.us/...)
There is a bit of a controversy, up here in conservative Sumner County, about this show -- to the point that the word "Vagina" is not allowed to appear on the Vol State marquee, the implication of course being that it is somehow an obscene word (you know, like all those other obscene internal organs: heart, lungs, liver, spleen, etc).
Whether or not you can see the show, please take a moment to email the president of Vol State at warren.nichols@volstate.edu, and commend him and the college for presenting such an important work -- maybe he'll get the idea that we are not as provincial as some closed minded, but open mouthed folks would have him believe!
OK, so I feel like I'm doing my part to to promote open-mindedness in my corner of the state, and I go on about my day.
What I didn't realize was that one of the women to whom I'd sent the email is the Executive Director of HomeSafe of Sumner, Wilson and Robertson Counties. She filled me in on a detail about the production of which I was not aware:
A little bit of trivia about the previous years presentations of the Vagina Monologues. The Chair of the Benevolence Committee at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville refused to place HomeSafe on the list of non-profits in the County who they provide financial assistance to due to the sign last year.
So, let's get this straight: a
Christian church
refused to give assistance to a shelter for
women and children victims of domestic violence because some other local group raised money for them by putting on a play with the word "vagina" in the title. Makes perfect sense -- if you're a repug!
I asked her if I could make that public. Her response:
Sure, I don't mind telling the truth. There are so many people who haven't heard about HomeSafe and don't know that there are services available for survivors of domestic violence here in Sumner County. I have been with HomeSafe for 20 years this coming June 1st - nothing amazes me anymore!!! I think I have heard and seen about everything there is????
We really need financial support to keep the program running. Any information that gets out will not only help survivors get to us but hopefully some money and support as well.
Very few "women's issues" diaries make it to recommended list here. I know there are big political, hot button topics being discussed on this site. But women, at 51% of the population, are the majority gender, folks. What impacts us is important to the nation, and what is going on here at the local level, under the radar, is going on across the country.
We know about the "glass ceiling," we know about federal budget cuts to programs that support women and children, we know about important votes on controversial judges, we know about efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade. We're not always aware of the myriad of little things that go on daily across this country that suppress women and attempt to undermine the progress we've made in the last century.
Ladies, stay strong! Gentlemen, support strong women!
UPDATE: Should have posted this sooner. Duh! My apologies. If anyone would like to make a contribution to HomeSafe, you can send it to:.
HomeSafe in Sumner Co..
P.O. Box 607.
Gallatin, TN 37066