MY BOOBS

The first thing I learned about my boobs was that everyone wanted to see them. Did you know that when girls go through puberty, we do it in public? That our physical changes happen on the front of our bodies, changing the shape of our shirts? If you didn’t, a fifteen year old boy is happy to point it out.

Next, I learned that it was my responsibility to hide them. Wear different shirts. Slouch a little. Do not text your ex boyfriend a picture of them for his fraternity scavenger hunt.

People say that boobs grant a woman power, but that power has rarely felt particularly empowering. Showing them off leads to objectification and harassment, and hiding them reinforces my body as a source of shame. Which, frankly, I am sick of. 

This series, “MY BOOBS”, explores the relationship between myself, my body, exposure, vulnerability, and real power. It is my response to an exhausting reality. If I have to navigate this space — having a body, being a woman, being seen, cramming the boobs into a swimsuit which somehow feels more revealing than nudity — I’m doing it on my terms now.

So, yes. You can see them.