4 ways cancer of the breast awareness campaigns could be sexist and oppressive – everyday feminism

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A black t-shirt reads A black t-shirt reads “help save second base” having a cancer of the breast ribbon. Eco-friendly text pointing into it reads “um…no.”

For pretty much 2 decades, October is known as Cancer Of The Breast Awareness Month. For this season, the activism surrounding cancer of the breast spikes, and lots of campaigns receive a lot of support.

There’s without doubt that attempting to eradicate cancer of the breast is really a worthy cause. But, are all of those campaigns worthy of our support, or are a few of them dangerous?

Some cancer of the breast awareness campaigns are brilliant, plus they manage to work without having to be oppressive. But other campaigns are actually problematic.

It’s essential that we examine these campaigns and on-site visit their dangerous behavior. When we truly wish to support cancer of the breast patients the very best we are able to, we have to be prepared to reject campaigns that create more damage than good. 

Let’s take a look at a few of the ways certain cancer of the breast awareness campaigns are oppressive.

1. Some Campaigns Concentrate on Breasts Rather of Patients

“Save the tatas!” “Save second base!” “I love boobies!”

Many cancer of the breast awareness campaigns appear to pay attention to breasts rather of on cancer or, you realize, around the patients themselves.

I recieve it: Breasts are wonderful. This really is, partly, why is cancer of the breast activism so marketable. Breasts are sexualized without having to be too sexual we are able to discuss them freely on national television and radio while still attractive to the heterosexual male gaze.

However this strong concentrate on breasts includes a dangerous effect.

In this way, yes: Cancer of the breast is all about breasts. But more to the point, cancer of the breast is all about people

Whenever we endorse slogans like, “Save second base” and use sexualized pictures of breasts to attract potential supporters, we’re sexually objectifying cancer patients.

Rather of claiming that people should save an individual’s existence, we’re stating that we ought to save an intimate act or perhaps a part of the body. Rather of claiming that cancer isn’t good since it kills, we’re stating that it’s bad since it removes something which appeases the heterosexual male gaze.

By doing this, we’re virtually reducing someone to the sexual gratification themselves can offer. And that’s simply not okay.

Focussing on breasts also offers the result of shaming some cancer patients. When we make cancer of the breast awareness about saving breasts, what exactly are we saying about cancer of the breast patients who’ve had mastectomies or, a minimum of part of, their breasts destroyed? 

In individuals cases, their breasts weren’t ‘saved’– their breasts were sacrificed so they could live. Rebuilding surgery isn’t always a choice, so these folks might possibly not have the factor these campaigns glorify.

Cancer of the breast awareness campaigns that sexualize breasts rather of concentrating on cancer patients value vitality within the humanity of patients. 

2. Some Campaigns Are Gender-Essentialist and Cissexist

Through their rhetoric, images, and using pink, cancer of the breast awareness campaigns have started to equate breasts with womanhood and femininity. This really is problematic on numerous levels.

First of all, equating womanhood with breasts is very cissexist because it equates another sex characteristic with gender. This is an additional illustration of society insisting that biology determines one’s gender. We all know that is not true—and the proliferation of the misinformation leads to the oppression and ‘othering’ of trans and gender non-conforming people.

Next, campaigns which do this are really distributing a myth about cancer of the breast: the lie that ladies and only women get cancer of the breast. 

This, simply, isn’t true. Yes, cancer of the breast disproportionately affects women. What about those who have breasts but don’t identify as women, like trans men and non-binary people? They get cancer of the breast too. Even cisgender men get cancer of the breast.

We have to on-site visit the misrepresentation and marginalization of trans and gender non-conforming individuals cancer of the breast awareness campaigns, especially since they’re statistically less inclined to receive quality cancer treatment.

By utilizing more gender-neutral language and imagery, campaigns can stop perpetuating the harmful myth that just women get cancer of the breast.

3. Some Campaigns Misrepresent Cancer

Although I’ve never personally had cancer, I’ve family people who have–or have had–cancer. Cancer is chronic discomfort, hair thinning, fear, and often dying.

Women smiling, laughing, holding their unscarred breasts suggestively are actually unrepresentative of cancer.

Shall We Be Held stating that all cancer people are, or ought to be, miserable constantly? Certainly not! Rather, I’m stating that the ‘feel-good’ breast campaigns frequently erase a realistic look at cancer.

Cancer is serious. However the advertising surrounding cancer of the breast is not.

Resourse: http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/11/breast-cancer-campaigns/

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