Vulva. Vagina. Pussy. Lady bits. Female reproductive organs may have more names than you have underwear in your underwear drawer, but the truth is: It doesn't matter what you call it. You shouldn't have to speak about it in hushed tones or code names; you should be proud of it. At least, that's the ethos musician Tove Lo lives by.
The singer-songwriter feels so strongly about the sentiment, in fact, that a few months ago she made it permanent via a vulva tattoo on the inner part of her right arm. Like a high school athlete with a sports emblem patched onto a varsity jacket, Tove Lo wears the ink like a badge of honour. "You should be proud of your vagina — it's a cool and positive part of you," she told Teen Vogue in a recent interview. "Being open and free about the body and self-love (the way I am) can be provocative — but that doesn’t mean that it's bad or dangerous."
And we're starting to see some change in that regard. References were made on The Bachelor. Khloé Kardashian opened up about her beauty routine for the area. Female artists are now referring to it in songs, without the male gaze. What was once taboo is now a symbol of modern-day feminism, which is exactly the way Tove Lo sees it. "My vagina tattoo reminds me not to make myself smaller, which is often what’s expected of women," she told the publication.
She continued, "People tell me all the time that I’m a chick with balls. It’s supposed to be a compliment, but really it’s insulting. Women don’t need balls to be brave. Our vaginas will do just fine." Word.