by Amanda Woolsey

Entering “queef” into Urban Dictionary, known ubiquitously as the only reliable search engine to accurately translate the youth’s vernacular, unveils the definition ​“​an expulsion of wind from the vulva during coitus; a vaginal fart. (​rumor has it that Thea can queef the alphabet.)”​ ​(On an anecdote, embarking on this adventure of queef­dom in the realm of UD has lead to the discovery of a slew of delicious new idioms, including “queefbagger”, “queefalope”, and my personal favorite, “queefasaurixsex”).

Anyways, disregarding the alphabet anecdote, while I must commend Thea for her eclectic talent, it appears that a queef is a perfectly normal bodily function that a large percentage of people with vaginas experience.

So why all the hate? Why is the world repressing a purely natural expulsion of air?

Is it embedded, internalized misogyny? Is it the hyper­patriarchy that engulfs us and lays the foundation for our governmental and societal structures? Is it a generalized fear of the elusivity of vaginas?

It’s not a secret that the general public does not approve of queefing as an appropriate societal activity for folks. The world has told us time and time again, despite the fact that farts and queefs are virtually the same bodily function from different organs, farts are funny and queefs are distasteful and should be repressed. This may be due in part to the generalized stigma against sexual activity; as much as it’s still promoted and exploited for profit in the media, there still exists a subversive prejudice against promiscuity, especially towards sexually active women.

Let’s remove the stigma behind this perfectly natural bodily function. Queefing, like all other bodily functions, serves a purpose, and deserves to have a respectful standing in society.