No More "Save the Tatas"

Earlier this semester, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, making her really the first person in my life to be affected by this type of cancer. Since then, I've found myself drawn to articles on the internet dealing with the cancer and ways to support the fight for a cure. An article that really stood out to me was called "No More 'Save the Tatas'" by Jessica Luther. 

http://flyoverfeminism.com/no-more-save-the-tatas-please/

If you don't have time to read the article (it's super short!) I'll post the main point.

"There are survivors living with conditions and scars (both physically and emotionally) that remind them daily of the cancer that haunted their bodies and minds, that continue to haunt them with every check-up at the oncologist’s office or every daily morning prevention pill. Focusing on breasts and breasts alone obscures the reality and the faces of the people who are at the center of the fight against breast cancer. It reminds the survivors who either don’t have their breasts or have scars across the breasts they do have that they are now not as wholly feminine as they once were (and they never will be). They may have beaten the cancer but they lost their breasts, the things everyone seems to actually care about."

Luther's point really struck a cord with me. Our society not only objectifies women in the media and in magazines, but objectifies women that are fighting cancer. We've all seen people wear the bracelets that say "Save the Tatas" and maybe most of us have laughed. But, like Luther said, this takes the focus away from the battle these women and men are fighting, discriminates against the men who've had this disease, and sexualize a disease.