A Call To My Sisters | Fly With Dignity Is A Feminist Issue

I became attached to the issue about AIT scanners because I am a woman, a mother, a feminist and an African American. Most of the discussions I see online seem to revolve around men who are worried about other men touching their “junk.”

I will agree, this is a broad and sweeping generalization. Many men are discussing the violation of their 4th amendment rights. Many are addressing the legitimate scientific concerns about the health risks posed by continued exposure to radiation. And I applaud these gentlemen.
In relation to action statements, this is where the discussion devolves into a circle jerk. The men are all discussing wearing kilts “commando” style or getting boners, or making orgasmic noises when they get pulled aside to have an intrusive body search. It seems like a big game of “My junk is bigger than your junk and so I can bully you.

Sadly, I am not seeing as many women speaking up about this issue. Nor, do I hear many of my sisters getting out there to protest this by choosing to “Opt Out” on November 24th. The few women speaking up (as usual) are not getting the same media attention as White men who dare people to “touch my junk.” Of course, statistically, 1 in 6 women have been sexually assaulted. We are fully aware that society expects us to let “our junk” be handled, abused, and violated at anytime it is deemed necessary for the greater good.

It hasn’t been that long since women have even begun to believe that we can be protected by half of the civil liberties that White males grow up believing is their God-given right. It has only been 90 years since women gained the vote (even less for Black women.) It has been almost 40 years since what a rape victim was wearing became inadmisseble in court. We’ve barely won the right to wear whatever clothing we want and not expect to get raped. It has only been approximately 37 years since Roe V Wade. Yet, every year, women have to campaign for the right to make choices about when we choose to bear children. We’ve barely won the battle against domestic violence. Women still don’t feel as if the same rights and privileges which extend to White males apply to them. We have had to fight every step of the way.


Forgive me if I don’t have all the timelines in order - but - I’m old enough to remember when many of these rights were extended to us in my lifetime. And I remember either my mother or some college professor or some cool activist talking to me about these “great victories.” What I am trying to say is, the majority of our civil liberties as women are barely as old as I am. And I hold them precious.

So this is a call to my sisters. Our great grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and even ourselves have faced every threat, inconvienence and even death to have a few simple things we take for granted. This is a call to every woman to remind the world that we fought hard and long to simply obtain the right to:
walk down the street unescorted,
wear make-up;
smoke or drink in public;
expect not to be raped or molested;
expect for our bosses or co-workers to not touch us or speak with us inappropriately;
expect not to be beaten by a spouse and have legal recourse;
choose when to bear children;
and vote for people who will not try to steal these victories from us.

We, as women, have more at stake. We have barely claimed our bodies. And we are under attack again. This is our issue. No on should ever touch our bodies if we do not consent. Ever. And we must never let them touch our children's bodies without their consent. (As is what happened to a three year old girl here.) And furthermore, I don't want this spoof cover of a pretend book to ever be needed in my home.

I also don't want my son sitting in therapy with one of these dolls and the therapist saying, "Show me where the TSA agent touched you." (The quote is by some random reddit poster.)

November 17th will have a Senate TSA Oversight Hearing. Here is a link to an article which posts all the numbers and names. Call and write!

Please - join in the discussion! Thanks!
www.flywithdignity.org