"I Am Not A Dress"

A poem for a feel-good Friday.

Many people in the gender critical space will be familiar with the poem “I Am Not A Dress” written by a then 14-year-old Bren Dove. The video of her passionate and brave reading of it went viral and she was featured on multiple media outlets.

Here it is, as a wonderful call to action and a reminder that not all young people are captured.

I Am Not A Dress by Bren Dove

WE ARE WOMEN, WE ARE WARRIORS OF STEEL,

WOMAN IS SOMETHING NO MAN WILL EVER FEEL,

WOMAN IS NOT A SKILL THAT ANY MAN CAN HOLD,

WOMAN IS OUR WORD, AND IT IS OURS ALONE,

I AM NOT A DRESS TO BE WORN ON A WHIM,

A MAN IN A DRESS IS NONETHELESS A HIM,

WOMEN ARE NOT SIMPLY WHAT WE WEAR,

IF THIS OFFENDS YOU, I DO NOT CARE,

I AM NOT AN IDEA IN ANY MAN’S MIND,

AND MY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS NOT TO BE KIND,

SO WHEN MY RIGHTS ARE TRAMPLED EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK,

I WILL NOT STAND BY BEING DOCILE AND MEEK,

I AM NOT DEFINED BY SEXISTS EYES,

THERE IS MORE TO A WOMAN THAN THAT SHALLOW GUISE,

THAT GUISE OF DRESSES, BIKINIS, AND SKIRTS,

THOSE CLOTHES ARE NOT WHAT WOMANHOOD IS WORTH,

I AM NOT A B****, A TERF, A WHORE, A SLAG,

HYSTERICAL, A WITCH, A SLUT, A HAG,

NO, I AM A WOMAN, I’M A FEMALE,

WHO WILL NOT HER RIGHTS BE PUT UP FOR SALE,

I AM NOT DEFINED BY WHAT MEN ARE NOT,

SO TO HELL WITH CIS MISOGYNISTIC ROT,

I AM A WOMAN, I’M NOT A SUBSET OF MY SEX,

IF THIS MAKES ME A DINOSAUR, SO BE IT, I’M A T-REX,

I AM NOT A BLEEDER, NOR A MENSTRUATOR,

A WOMB CARRIER OR A UTERUS HAVER,

THOSE WORDS AND PHRASES ARE SUCH A SHAM,

JUST CALL ME WOMAN, IT IS WHO I AM,

WE ARE WOMEN, WE ARE WARRIORS OF STEEL,

WOMAN IS SOMETHING NO MAN WILL EVER FEEL,

WOMAN IS NOT A SKILL THAT ANY MAN CAN HOLD,

WOMAN IS OUR WORD, AND IT IS OURS ALONE

A THING OF BEAUTY, AND I’M NOT EVEN A FEMINIST.

I CAN, HOWEVER, IMAGINE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A WOMAN THESE DAYS,

WHEN THE PATRIARCHY IS LITERALLY TAKING OVER WOMANHOOD BY “BECOMING” WOMEN THEMSELVES.