Gransnet forums

News & politics

Bonus Holes..as an alternative to a vagina.

(189 Posts)
DiamondLily Sun 09-Jul-23 09:36:42

From a Woman's charity, dedicated to women's health,

What a revolting name, for a vagina. Who thinks up this nonsense?🙄

Julie Bindell has written an article for the DM:

"As holes go, they are arguably the most important in the world. Every man and woman ever to have lived – except those born by caesarean section – has sprung forth into this world from one.

And yet a charity dedicated to women's health, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, is suggesting that the word 'vagina' could be referred to as the 'bonus hole' to avoid offending or excluding trans men or 'non-binary' people.

As a feminist campaigner, I am appalled. I've spent time over the decades trying to raise awareness among women about our bodies.

I've encouraged women to unlearn the shame associated with our biology.

So the idea that we should stop referring to the vagina by its name is grossly offensive.

I grew up absorbing the message that our bodies were dirty.

We would use euphemisms to describe its parts, because 'vagina' and even 'breast' were considered unpleasant.

I recall, back in the Eighties, buying tampons only to have the shopkeeper quickly put the box in a brown paper bag as if it were a porn magazine. But we feminists learned to take pride in our physical form.

I would shake the tampons out of the bag to make the point that I was not ashamed of menstruating. After all, it's a reality for half the population.

It's worth noting that this form of McCarthyite censorship is reserved for descriptions of female anatomy only. That's why this is nothing short of misogyny.

There is no such suggestion, of course, to swap words that men use to describe their biology.

Perhaps, to be fair, we should change 'penis' to 'flesh roll' to avoid offending trans women? I'm sure men won't object. Just a thought."

www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-12278639/JULIE-BINDEL-says-womens-health-charity-guilty-short-misogyny-again.html

Katek Mon 10-Jul-23 12:43:37

When is all this wokery going to end - when did the minority start dictating to the majority? Last time I looked we were still a democracy with all that that entails. So it's fine to change vagina to 'bonus hole' (I'm cringing as I type this) to make a minority feel comfortable is it? So what about the millions, the majority (!) of us who are completely happy with current terminology but find this suggestion unacceptable? I find this suggested descriptor completely coarse and repugnant. Why a bonus anyway? A bonus is usually something pleasantly extra that you didn't expect to receive - I hate to say but I have had all my bits for 70+ years and haven't yet discovered a 'bonus hole' (Gyads sake!) Perhaps it's a BOGOFF offer??

M0nica Mon 10-Jul-23 12:54:52

The actual context is trying to find a term trans men and non binary people feel comfortable using in order to help them feel confident seeking medical treatment.

I think the above is bunkum. As it is doctors have to get used to people of all kinds using all kinds of words for describing anatomical area between their legs. How many people actually talk to their doctor in strict medical anatomical terms?

I fail to see why trans people shouldn't agree among themselves what they want to call those areas on them and leave women and men with the vocabulary they have always used for whatever they have between their legs.

Katek Mon 10-Jul-23 12:57:40

Precisely

Musicgirl Mon 10-Jul-23 13:38:14

This is a horrible term. It sounds like it should be in a sleazy joke from a seventies working men’s club rather than an anatomical description. Why is it always women’s bodies that are degraded in this way? As far as l am concerned, I am a woman who was born with a vagina and a uterus. When I reached puberty, I started having monthly periods as preparation for being able to have babies. I notice that those who self-identify as women are not queuing up for these. I later had three children; two of whom I was able to feed with milk from my breasts. and eventually the menopause. I am not a person who gave birth, I am a woman who gave birth. I am not a womb-haver, I was not a chest feeder and I am certainly not a person with a bonus hole. Woke, politically correct nonsense at its finest. It would be laughable were it not for the sinister agenda that seems to be erase the female sex altogether.

Elegran Mon 10-Jul-23 13:42:35

I am prepared to accept that, apparently, the name wasn't intended for "real women" - (but why did I feel that I have to put that into inverted commas, as though it is a made-up label?) but for women-to-men trans people who find themselves with a surplus orifice.
However, it is still a generally unpleasant name for something which already has several perfectly good and traditional names. They could even use an insult like a tw*t if they want to imply that it isn't what they would have chosen. But a hole has some implications that may not have occurred to them, some good, many bad.

An animals burrow. A place of refuge.

A place or position that needs to be filled because someone or something is no longer there. "she is missed terribly and her death has left a hole in all our lives"

A serious discrepancy : a flaw, weakness
"some holes in your logic"

A small, dingy, squalid place; any dirty, badly lighted room, house, etc

A prison cell especially for solitary confinement
"threw him in the hole for two days"

An awkward position or circumstance : fix
"got the rebels out of a hole at the battle"

Then there is this interesting definition in the Urban Dictionary. I'll leave you to follow the link. www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hole

FarNorth Mon 10-Jul-23 15:22:07

The charity Jo's Trust defends its use of these terms :

archive.ph/5reyN

They say medical staff & charity workers should be prepared for any terms that people might use.
Of course they should.
That doesn't mean the charity should list them on its website as if everyone uses them.

DiamondLily Mon 10-Jul-23 15:28:32

It's just such a silly and revolting alternative name, I wonder where they keep their brains🙄

A vagina isn't any sort of "bonus" - it's just part of the female body.

Biological men haven't got one, or not a natural one, and will never have one, no matter how many bonus points they might try to collect towards one...it's not bloody Tesco's.🙄

Honestly, it sometimes feels like this country has gone collectively nuts lol

DiamondLily Mon 10-Jul-23 15:29:35

Katek

When is all this wokery going to end - when did the minority start dictating to the majority? Last time I looked we were still a democracy with all that that entails. So it's fine to change vagina to 'bonus hole' (I'm cringing as I type this) to make a minority feel comfortable is it? So what about the millions, the majority (!) of us who are completely happy with current terminology but find this suggestion unacceptable? I find this suggested descriptor completely coarse and repugnant. Why a bonus anyway? A bonus is usually something pleasantly extra that you didn't expect to receive - I hate to say but I have had all my bits for 70+ years and haven't yet discovered a 'bonus hole' (Gyads sake!) Perhaps it's a BOGOFF offer??

No, I haven't found anything extra either...perhaps we're not looking hard enough lol 😷

MrsKen33 Mon 10-Jul-23 16:07:43

DiamondLily👏👏👏👏👏

maddyone Mon 10-Jul-23 17:00:53

Why don’t they just call it a trans vagina? We all know it’s not a real one because it’s been created by doctors but I don’t know why they don’t just describe what it is. If they go to a doctor with a problem with it, they’ll just have to say that’s it’s a trans vagina. The doctor won’t care, but will need to know the full facts to treat.

Smileless2012 Mon 10-Jul-23 17:18:35

Why can't they call it whatever they like during any medical appointments they may have? On a need to know basis, I neither need to know or care as long as I'm not expected to agree, or change what I call my own.

NanKate Mon 10-Jul-23 20:50:32

I’m just going to lighten the atmosphere for a moment. My Gran used to give my mum a word of warning when she went out with the opposite sex.

‘Keep you hand on your happeny’ 😀

Iam64 Mon 10-Jul-23 20:53:21

NanKate, it was standard advice here in the north west - maybe nationally

NotSpaghetti Mon 10-Jul-23 23:17:40

maddyone

Why don’t they just call it a trans vagina? We all know it’s not a real one because it’s been created by doctors but I don’t know why they don’t just describe what it is. If they go to a doctor with a problem with it, they’ll just have to say that’s it’s a trans vagina. The doctor won’t care, but will need to know the full facts to treat.

I understood this was a "bonus" for trans men in the gay community.

Have I just got that all wrong?

Lathyrus Tue 11-Jul-23 09:21:45

I thought it was trans men who had retained their vagina too.

DiamondLily Tue 11-Jul-23 09:41:59

Iam64

NanKate, it was standard advice here in the north west - maybe nationally

Yes, my (London) Nan always used that term.😉

DiamondLily Tue 11-Jul-23 09:44:05

Lathyrus

I thought it was trans men who had retained their vagina too.

Either way, no one has a "bonus hole".

Biological men have an anus.

Biological women have a vagina and an anus.

Nobody gets extra, as far as I know.🥴

Lathyrus Tue 11-Jul-23 10:07:29

We do get a uretha too.

Is that retained or diverted?

The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that mucking about with body parts like this can’t be a good idea.

NotSpaghetti Tue 11-Jul-23 10:10:29

Unless you are now a gay man who has not had surgery. DiamondLily

Lathyrus Tue 11-Jul-23 10:16:24

I think they would be bi rather than gay to fancy sex with someone who has the feel of a woman’s body (I mean the whole soft curve thing) and then a vagina.

I mean that’s just what doesn’t appeal to gay men.

NotSpaghetti Tue 11-Jul-23 10:27:31

Maybe. grin.
I guess not many will be using the term then!

NanKate Tue 11-Jul-23 22:17:26

I was asked to fill in an evaluation form at the end of an excellent outdoor performance tonight by some great young actors.

One of the the questions said ‘female, male, rather not say’ then it said ‘how do you feel about your gender’? I wrote ‘Female 100%!!’ What a bloomin’ daft irrelevant question at a show. They will be asking questions like that at the chemist, coffee shop, supermarket next 😏

FarNorth Tue 11-Jul-23 22:46:10

Not only daft but intrusive.

FarNorth Wed 12-Jul-23 10:51:19

Seen on twitter :

"If women who pretend to be gay men have a 'bonus hole', does that mean men who pretend to be lesbians have a 'bonus pole'?"

(Of course, neither of those is a bonus to actual gay men or lesbians.)

Koalama Wed 12-Jul-23 12:42:34

Jeez this world is nuts, we've gone so far now I'm losing hope for our normality, but maybe this is the normality now? Well I don't like it!!!