Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. For most, it’s a day that revolves around roses, chocolates, balloons and romantic outings with that special someone. For many, it can be a bitter reminder of loneliness and commercialization. But for victims of domestic abuse, rape, incest and female genital mutilation, V-Day takes on a whole new meaning.
Inspired and spearheaded by Eve Ensler, the “V-Day” movement has spread across college campuses nationwide and provides a creative means for students and volunteers to raise awareness and funds for their cause.
The “V” in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina, states V-Day.org, Ensler’s official website. It’s a day that, above all else, celebrates a global movement to stop violence against women of all races and ages.
The movement is inspired by Eve Ensler’s Obie Award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues.” The episodic play is comprised of a varying number of monologues. The monologues feature such characters as a dominatrix who loves her job because it pleases women, a sexually active sixteen-year old girl who overcomes sexual abuse and confusion, and a woman who rants angrily about the crimes committed against the vagina by such items as tampons and douches. Every year, Enlser adds an additional monologue that deals with current issues about violence towards women. The latest addition deals with women’s problems in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
All of the monologues, however, share the common theme of the vagina as a means of empowerment for women and a physical manifestation of individuality.
The play’s effects reached Laredo in 2004 when Alpha Psi Lambda (A-Psi) brought the “Vagina Monologues” to TAMIU.
A-Psi brought the play to Laredo in order to “raise awareness to the community regarding domestic violence,” said Syina Moreno, an A-Psi alumna and former coordinator for the “Vagina Monologues.”
“We also wanted to bring culture to the city while contributing to a good cause,” Moreno affirmed. “Bringing something controversial, something graphic in content, name, and language, brought just that, I believe.”
Controversy, however, sells tickets. In the first year of production, the performance was played in front of a near capacity crowd at the auditorium in TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. To add to the controversy, A-Psi sold black t-shirts that read Vagina Friendly in bright pink across the front.
“They (the t-shirts) were-and still are–seen as vulgar, rude, or in bad taste,” said Moreno. “But that’s only until people find out the history and meaning behind the shirt”.
Proceeds from the local productions of “The Vagina Monologues” benefited SCAN, Inc. as well as Casa de Misericordia (House of Mercy)-a shelter for battered women. 10% of the profits went to Eve Ensler’s V-Day Foundation. The donations are distributed to an area in the world where Ensler feels needs help-places like Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where over three-hundred women went missing or were murdered between 2003 and 2004.
Since the play’s original three year run at TAMIU (2004-2006), V-Day has been a mere memory here in Dusty’s Den. Moreno claimed that a decline in attendance and funds lead A-Psi to stop producing the play.
Moreno further stated that printing the programs alone amounted to approximately three to four hundred dollars. But monetary cost aside, Moreno stated that the production of such an important piece of work is taxing on an organization’s members and actors.
“We had to start in October, had to start recruiting actors and someone to direct. (We needed) someone with knowledge in the drama field … who (could) coordinate time and stage props,” Moreno said.
Moreno hopes however that A-Psi will attempt to produce the play in the future.
The manpower it takes to produce an event like this is significant, but Moreno urged other Greek organizations to get involved as well.
“It was nice to be unified, using our letters to mean something.”
For more information on V-Day, visit www.v-day.org .