A hairy girl’s lament

Illustration by: Jessica Martinez

All of my life

I’ve been a hairy girl

My arms? Covered!

My legs? Covered! 

My upper lip

My sideburns

My stomach

(My god, even my knuckles? Hair can grow there too???)

Covered.

I dreaded wearing basketball shorts to P.E. 4th period 

I was always embarrassed, always mocked

Chewbacca… Very original

White girls with blonde arm hair

They shimmer in the sun

But thick dark hair drapes over my skin

It doesn’t sparkle or shine

For so long I’ve been ashamed of my body

But then…. lo and behold… 

White Feminism™ decided it’s COOL to be hairy

Thanks, White Feminism™!

I’m still trying to love all my hair

I stopped shaving my arms and stomach 

(I saved thousands of $$$!)

I look back and cringe at the memory of bleaching my arm hair

I wish I could have told little me that she was beautiful

Her hair didn’t make her “manly” or ugly

It’s natural, everyone has body hair, who cares?

So this one goes out to all my hairy girls 

Your hair is beautiful

Your hair on your arms and legs and knuckles and stomach

Even your hair on your toes, especially those hairs

All of your hair

All of it

All of you