What not shaving my legs taught me about bodily autonomy
Earlier this summer, I stopped shaving my legs. I learned a lesson about bodily autonomy that has implications for abortion, LGBT rights, the gender pay gap and more.
Earlier this summer, I stopped shaving my legs.
It started because of stress: I had had a rough week at work, and I forgot to shave. Then the rough week turned into two. By that time, the stubble on my shins was half a centimeter long. I had no idea how much longer it would grow.
In the harsh bathroom light, looking at my fluffy legs, I felt like I was missing a critical piece of information about my body. In the two decades since I’d hit puberty, I hadn’t let my leg hair grow out once, not even during the pandemic.
It was time to change that.
What I didn’t expect was the question I actually received: “What does your boyfriend think?”
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/shaving-legs-and-bodily-autonomy-post-roe-rcna40681
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