A mastectomy is nothing to glorify.

The only reason I, and several of my friends, have to ‘celebrate’ our mastectomies is that because we endured them we are alive and well and recovered from cancer.  I have been mulling this article over for some weeks wondering how to phrase things. Not wanting to sound like ‘poor me’, I’m the only person triggered and I needn’t sit feeling sorry for myself.

It started with a news item about the newly reopened Young V&A, formerly the Museum of Childhood, and in my youth 60 years ago The Bethnal Green Museum. As the name suggests it specialised in toys. I have fond memories of  the wonderful dolls house collection. The new revamp sounds very ‘modern’ as before opening the V&A director ordered that the staff removed a selection of ‘trans-affirming’ books which were totally unsuitable for the age group 0-14. This is the cover of one of them.

The young woman in red underpants proudly showing her bare chest, bare of breasts, scarred and mutilated distressed me. Why would you promote this to impressionable young girls? Losing a breast is traumatic enough when the beastie is peppered with malignant cells. When they are young, healthy, full of promise it’s a crime.  If a doctor amputated a foot because its owner thought she wasn’t human that doctor would be struck off.

I wrestled with arguments and words for a few more days. Then tonight, watching GB news for another news item, Nigel Farage expressed his dismay at two new adverts, both of which he had noticed today on Twitter. One for Costa Coffee and the other for Doc Martin boots (albeit DM USA)

 

The boots apparently are a competition prize  and feature the words “Queer Joy” on the back of the heel.

Words cannot express how I feel. But thankfully others are saying the same, which gives me courage.  For Women Scotland said “Hi @CostaCoffee  do you understand how the glorification & promotion of medically unnecessary mastectomies could be distressing and offensive to women who have suffered breast cancer?” 

Later “Also, this suggests having a mastectomy turns a woman into a man. Can you see how offensive that is to cancer survivors?”

Women Won’t Wheesht  “That is disgusting to see this being glorified…& as you say, also very distressing to women who have had to undergo mastectomies to save their lives.”
I like Women Won’t Wheesht anyway; it’s a Scottish dialect phrase meaning women won’t be silenced, and they have been very vocal about safe spaces and suchlike. 
A woman said “I am one of these women. I had my breast removed due to breast cancer. Very traumatic ,with a long recovery time. How dare they promote it. This is offensive.”
Don’t get me wrong; I have had a good life these last 26  years and am optimistic for another 20. Unlike my late mother who was very conscious of how she looked afterwards I don’t fuss much, just throw on my clothes and go. I always was an untidy scatterbrain.

What I’d like to know, one of the many things I ponder, is that trans-wo men, who either genuinely believe they are women or are autogynephilic or are chancers hoping to win sports medals or get into the girls changing rooms can keep their penises. We are told that ‘a woman can have a penis’. A penis can be a woman’s sexual organ. Evidence is given in court that a rapist inserted ‘her’ penis in the victim. Men, even trans-wo men, cling to the penis, that organ of pleasure,  like Gollum clings to the ring; my preciousssess….

 

But for girls, and it’s always girls, rarely I have noticed women over 30,  yes ‘top surgery’ Lets slice off these breasts, such joy, queer joy. Breasts seem not to be capable of being a male organ.

There is a push back against this madness at last but for many young women that damage is done. Reconstructions and prostheses are not the same, believe me.