In recent years, the language used when discussing female anatomy has become increasingly politicized. Now, this politicization has reached a new low with the suggestion that people refer to vaginas as “bonus holes” in order to avoid offending transgender people.
This suggestion was made by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust (based in the UK) and went viral after it was noticed and posted on Twitter.
It is important to note that this politically charged term was created in conjunction with the LGBT Foundation, a charity that campaigns for LGBT rights.
The concept of calling the vagina a “bonus hole” is an offensive one – not only does it disregard females completely by implying they are not women, but it also fails to recognize their anatomy as something unique and special.
The term itself implies that vaginas are nothing more than an accessory or bonus feature – something disposable and unimportant – which can be extremely damaging for women who already face discrimination in society due to their gender.
Unfortunately, this type of language isn’t just limited to referring to female anatomy; we have seen similar terms being used when discussing other aspects of female health care such as menstruation and childbirth.
For example, terms such as “birthing people” or “cervix owners” have been used instead of simply saying “women” or “mothers”.
These terms remove any sense of identity from females – they become nothing more than a collection of body parts rather than actual human beings with feelings and emotions.
A cervical cancer charity pic.twitter.com/Y69kgv0M0D
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) June 28, 2023
This can be incredibly damaging for those who already feel marginalized due to their gender identity or who may be struggling with issues related to body image or self-esteem.
Females really went from "women" to "birthing people" to "bonus holes" in the span of 5 years
— Tom Pappert (@realTomPappert) June 28, 2023
It is clear why using terms like these can be so problematic – they strip away any sense of personhood from women while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes about them being less important than men or transgender individuals.
Cervix owners was bad enough. Now they are re-wording parts of women’s bodies to sound like perks at mini-golf?
— Melissa Chen (@MsMelChen) June 28, 2023
Not only does this undermine the progress made in creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected regardless of their gender identity but it could also lead people into believing false ideas about what constitutes acceptable language when talking about female bodies which could have serious consequences for how we view gender roles within society as a whole.
Using ridiculous terms like ‘bonus hole’ should not even enter into consideration when having conversations about female bodies or healthcare practices – let alone become commonplace enough that charities suggest its use.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
