A serious question

[trixtah]

I've been reading too much stuff about women, young and old, not having the faintest idea of how women's vulvas and labia can vary, and thinking that there is something wrong with them because one of their labia is 5mm longer than the other or suchlike.

So I'm thinking seriously of starting a website where there are galleries of pictures of as many vulvas as I can get. I would like them to be self-submitted, with some demographic information from the submitters (e.g. age, ethnicity, children, surgery, etc). I know that vaginapagina has lots of pics, but their stuff doesn't really show up in Google searches. There is at least one other site with pictures of vulvas, but it seems to be there to drive traffic to porno sites (and has fucking flowers and people spreading their labia apart in a porno-like fashion. If you like it, fine, but I think there is a time and a place).

So, questions:

Poll #2311 Q

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

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Is creating such a site a good idea?

View Answers

Yes
4 (80.0%)

No
0 (0.0%)

Maybe
1 (20.0%)

If "yes" or "maybe", how to solicit contributions?

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Feel free to comment further below. Of course, the ironic part is I probably wouldn't want to submit pictures of my own vulva at all - how to ask people to do something I'm personally not comfortable with? While I would not want to do anything with the pictures other than display them for the stated purpose, how to reassure people of that?

Comments

[ilikerivers]

You would have to have a super clear mission statement obviously.

Links to mybeautifulcervix would be great too and maybe create 'sister site' links to them and other feminist sites too.

I love the vagpag photos but I can never find them when I want to.

You would have to find a server willing to host the pics too. I don't know much about servers though.

[trixtah]

Yep, links to other suitable sites is a great idea.

I already have hosting with Dreamwidth, and they are fine with hosting "adult" material: http://www.wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/KB_/_Sign_Up#Can_I_have_an_adult_website_or_dreambook.3F

[reynardo]

I remember a site years ago that had a whole series of views of vulvas - all shaved, but all different sizes. Smooth. Crinkly. Crepe-like. Small. medium. Small on one side and a bit flabby on the other.

Wish I could remember where it was. It was porn, but not hardcore style, if you know what I mean. And it was relaly close up shots of them sideways, with silly names like "The Hamburger" (looked like two buns with lettuce) and such. Not in a derogatory sense.

Dammit, now I'm going to have to go looking.

[trixtah]

Yep, I've certainly seen something like that, with lots and lots of galleries, and a pile of ad links to porn sites (although I don't remember any called "hamburger"! Nice.) I really want to get away from that. I also want plenty of unshaved pix.

[ironed_orchid]

I think the_clitoris.com has the shaved pics and links to sex toys and porn.

[baglieg]

I could have sworn there was something like that already...

[trixtah]

I haven't found it if there is - but let me know if you wander across it!

[ironed_orchid]

Scarleteen has my favourite essay on vulva shape and size and it has links to drawings of vulvas. If your site were to be clearly educational, then reciprocal links might be possible.

Here's all about my vagina which links to other sites which showcase vulvas

[trixtah]

Yes, Scarleteen is a cool website. As for the links, yes, some of that is what I'm trying to get at. I do think moar pix would be good, especially the ones that don't have stupid objects in them. Still, perhaps what's out there is actually enough if people look (although I never came across those sites before).

Dilemmas, dilemmas.

[ironed_orchid]

I would prefer those sites if the text was more matter of fact than flowery goddess worshippy or art school stream of consciousness.

I'd actually love a site which showcased the varieties of pubic hair as well, and managed to do it without being judgmental about shaved/non-shaved.

One thing someone mentioned, I think on a locked forum, was that vulva insecurities seemed to be connected to the trend of shaving, in that people can see their vulvas, especially their labia major in detail, rather than it all being hidden behind pubes.

[trixtah]

Yes, flowery goddesses is precisely what I want to get away from. And porn. And yes, I was thinking of categories for hair as well - completely unaltered, trimmed, nude. Although that might be too much in terms of obsessive taxonomy. But if I got a run of nude vulvas, I wouldn't add them until I felt there was a balance.

[serene]

And you might want to read this:

http://dodsonandross.com/gallery/genital-art

[trixtah]

What a fucking stupid law! I see they've only gone after the Girls Gone Wild producers so far - is Adult Friend Finder next?

While obviously I'm not in the US, the webhosting I own is. So much for that idea. Although I would suspect that the likelihood of being prosecuted would be quite low. Also, it's quite clear that the web hoster would not be liable, since they would simply be transmitting what I'd be the "secondary producer" of. Hmmmm.