Whoredom Boredom

I found a surprisingly insightful article on Gawker today entitled Bored of Whoredom. What now? Freelance writer Tawni Nadini Islam beautifully weaves together a memorable piece of prose encompassing the fears and desires of being a woman. The story opens as she and her boyfriend are going to bed; she is unable to sleep, wracked by thoughts of "past traumas, religious mores that never fit, old lovers I conjure up despite knowing better." She admits to "having those days when being a woman makes you feel like you’re the 'mule of the world.'" Her contemplative thought that follows suggests that sexual liberation is key to breaking free of being the world's mule, but yet contends that being a whore is 'boring.'

Being a whore is boring; but only because the word 'whore' conjures up images of girls whose clothing is minimal and lipstick is smeared as they attempt to pride themselves on being able to attract men into their beds. In my opinion, a whore has nothing to do with her sexual activity, but rather her own view of herself. Women who are happy, confident, and otherwise generally sane should not have to forgo mental health and peace, not to mention sexual desire, for the sake of letting men dictate their behaviors based on ancient patriarchal ideas that serve no one, not even the men who name us whores, deeming us meaningless somewhere between up and down, between the start and end of what was only supposed to be an enjoyable, judgement-free, equal ride.