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Taking up space II: curfews and permissions

The issue of taking up space, as discussed elsewhere on the forum, has reminded me of how ubiquitous the expectation is that women should shrink away. It manifests itself in body size - women should not be fat - as well as in public places - women should not be outside after dark, aka our gender-specific curfew - and it comes up in how much auditory space we may inhabit, as in loudly we are allowed to speak, lest we be threatening or "shrewish". 

A woman's body is only allowed to take up space for the purpose, the pleasure, or the use of men; or with their permission. The most blatant evidence of this is the fact that I am only legally allowed to be naked if I am being paid to dance that way in front of men. Should I simply doff my clothes in the park, I constitute an immediate threat to society, and must be arrested.

The right to territory is a fundamental human right. It's one that all species fight to have. That women should be banned from public spaces, or made invisible in any way, is a denial of that right.

Posted by Dominique Millette - June 12, 2009, at 05:29PM | in
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5 Comments

[0+] Author Profile Page Kimberly said:

While I tend to agree with your overall point, the stripping thing is a terrible example. It's not as though men can get away with being naked in a park. And I'd suspect they'd get into a great deal more legal trouble since they'd be considered threatening. But that's another subject altogether.

[0+] Author Profile Page Multipass said:

. Should I simply doff my clothes in the park, I constitute an immediate threat to society, and must be arrested.

I'd have to agree with Kimberly on this. While you might be arrested and quietly escorted away, not much would come of it.

A man, however, would be accused of being a sexual predator, rapist, and a danger to children and society, and probably end up on a sex offender registry.

By saying you can't be naked in public, people aren't "banning women from public spaces".

[0+] Author Profile Page redredrose said:

I'd rather no one doff their clothes in the park, at least not while others are around.

[0+] Author Profile Page Can said:

I think what the OP is saying is that women are only allowed to appear naked when performing (likely for men). I don't know if that's true or what, or where she gets that info, but if it is, I get that.

[0+] Author Profile Page Devonian said:

You should have said "take off your shirt", rather than your clothes altogether (something that men also get arrested for)...

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