I think the Principal considers "The Vagina Monologues" to be a political statement because of the feminist implications.

For example the slogans "Black power" or "White power" would not be allowed.

I may or may not understand all the particulars, for a variety of reasons, but it seems to me that as a statement of self-acceptance and pride in one's gender and the vagina as the primal symbol of womanhood in all its forms, that seems to be a very political statement - and a very good one. That this guy is made uncomfortable by the idea a woman is proud of herself (especially a couple of young women, for whom issues of equality and pride and self-esteem are all the harder) says a hell of a lot about that principal.

But seriously - how can that not be political speech? Beyond the obvious sexual interpretation, anytime anyone who's used to getting stepped on stands up and says they're proud of themselves and of the very reason they find themselves in the approaching shadow of a booted heel, that's political. I'd read it the same way I read the "We're Here, We're Queer, Get Used To It" signs at a pride march. It's stating the obvious, yes, but the societal drive to conceal that obvious fact makes just plain sayin' it inherently political.

As a side note, the weirdest thing I've ever seen was at the March on Washington in '93. A group of nuns were standing around on The Mall handing out literature of some sort and, pinned to their habits, they had buttons that read: "Vaginal Pride." I get it, but it was very strange to see it on nuns.

As I recall, I think its pretty standard practice for high schools to ban sexually suggestive clothing. I remember when I was in high school, they banned the "Big Johnson" shirts, once the administration caught wind of the joke.

The fact that it may or may not be political is irrelevant. They aren't banning a political statement, they are banning (in their opinion) an explicit statement that happens to be political (or not).

That being said, I don't think that "vagina" too explicit for high schoolers, but apparently the school does.

I think the Vagina is highly overrated as a political feminist statement.

Or rather I would go with a more French Feminist button - something like - More Mutlipicitious Parts Nyah Nyah Nyah !

Fortunately, it seems evident that these ladies are destined to accomplish much more in their lives than a high school diploma…. So the hell with any immediate consequences, keep makin’ those administrators feel all icky and stuff. Go Vaginas!!

Vagina is too explicit, but you can sign up to be a Marine in the school cafeteria. It makes my head hurt sometimes.

The girls could wear buttons saying "I support feminism" or "I support women", etc., without the school getting upset. As Hemlock Echo noted, it's reacting to what it considers a lewd method of expressing an unobjectionable political message.

This situation reminds me of Roger Ebert's saying, "A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it."

Or something like that.

Hooray for vaginas and teenagers!

I'm always so amused when people say that vagina is an offensive term. Despite it being the anatomically correct term, it's also better than girls wearing shirts that say "I [heart] my pussy." It's interesting that some people hate the medical terms--if I ever tried to use a substitute (non-vulgar) phrase for vagina when I was little my (really conservative) mother would correct me and require me to use the proper term. Same thing with one of my friends from HS. She was well endowed and finding dresses that fit was a challenge. So she'd start complaining about her boobies and her mom would be horrified! "Say 'breasts'--that's what they are!" And those two mothers are two of the most conservative women I've ever known. So what's the principle's deal?

Maybe I just have a hard time of wrapping my head around the concept that using the correct term is a political statement. *shrug*

Think the boys would get in trouble if they wore shirts saying "I [heart] my penis?"

Hey, this is happening in Winona. I know that place!

For background, Winona is a dieing river town which used to be much more important than it is now. It has a U of M campus on it so it is a very odd mixture of liberal college town with old old infrastructure.

Reading the local reports I think it is less a 'political' concern and more a 'vulgarity' concern.

So, is "vagina" vulgar in a high school? Maybe. The same goes for "penis".

I'm not sure our local high schools would let kids wear shirts that say "penis," much less "I heart my penis," and certainly not "I spank my penis because he is a naughty, naughty boy."

Local word is the kids are good kids, their parents want to make sure they graduate, the school has not taken any action besides telling them not to wear the buttons, the ACLU is involved, and I bet we get the Daily show coming up here to make fun of us pretty soon.

In the meantime we've got attractive HS youth, spring on the river, and genitalia on the mind.

Life is good.

I suppose it's possible that they have a rule forbidding any apparrel with vagina or penis written on it, but isn't that somewhat strange given that the first time they wore the buttons was to a production of the Vagina Monologues?

Karyn - If boys went around wearing "I (heart) my penis" buttons, I suspect that they'd be subject to anything from ridicule to violence from their peers despite the near-universal truth of the button's message.

I (heart) my fleshy dangly bits.

The whole idea of vulgarity is rediculous. The word "cunt" was the original English word for the organ it describes. It wasn't until the upper classes made a new word with more sophisticated latin roots that they could make the original word vulgar.

And it became vulgar because everything the lower class did was vulgar. It was just the upper class' way of seperating themselves and justifying themselves in fucking over and exploiting the lower class around every turn.

And as political speech, there's nothing vulgar about it. They want to attack societies attempt to better control women by making them ashamed of their sexuality and at the heart of that is the shame around the cunt. And they went about it in the politest way possible.

I'm sure even in the strictest Catholic school you can have a serious class discussion about "the vagina" with out any problems. I don't see how this should be any different.

er..I guess that first paragraph could use some antecedents..the girls wanted to attack shame and the girls went about it the politest way possible

I can't understand the uproar over the word vagina. Now substitute Uterus or Womb? Them's fightin' words.

I heart their vaginas to!

I heart their vaginas to!

Maybe since the students at the center of this retardation are so willing to fight for something they believe in we should teach them to fight violence against women through educational means rather than to place all their hope in a cartoon-ish button.

I personally think that focusing on the body part that makes us different from men perpetuates the very stereotype feminism aims to de-throne. But hey, since we're skipping through a feminist fairyland where vaginas have personalities and things to say, mine has requested that you exclude it from the center of political discussion. Please respect my vagina's wishes. Thank you.

Who's making women ashamed of their vaginas? I'm not saying that women have never suffered injustices based on gender, but I don't think the vagina itself was ever a point of contention. I have never once in my life felt that someone was holding it against me like an old grudge. Give me a break. Go to a country in Africa where young women are held down while their genitals are cut off with rusty blades and their vaginas sewn shut until they're married---now I'd say those women have a reason to be worried for their vaginas. As for high school students in Minnesota, they have nothing more to worry about than whether they can wear a button to school--and they expect the world to perk its head up and be concerned with their oppression? Doesn't the ACLU have better things to do?

(I will agree that the school officials' actions--or overreactions, as it may be--are the equivalent of poking a pile of dog shit with a stick.)