I Don’t Want Top Surgery
Words by Jade Swayne
I don’t want top surgery.
I want to live in a world where my top doesn’t need surgery to be shown and perceived the way I want it to be.
I’m not the one who needs fucking top surgery — it’s our world, it’s our culture, it’s our collective perception about certain chests that needs a metaphorical but no less invasive augmentation of form to function healthfully.
“If you don’t like it, leave!” isn’t an acceptable ideology when it comes to racism in a workplace.
“If you don’t like it, leave!” isn’t an acceptable ideology for a university that has homophobic tenants.
“If you don’t like it, leave” isn’t an acceptable ideology in so many spheres— but it feels like “if you don’t like how your chest is perceived, change your chest!” is.
You wouldn’t tell a person of color to stop being a person of color so they won’t experience racism.
You wouldn’t tell a queer student at BYU to stop being queer and the homophobia will stop.
So why do you without words tell me if I want to be topless without issue get rid of the thing causing the issue. My breasts. No. Hell no.
No!
Racism doesn’t happen because there are people of color.
Racism happens because somebody can’t accept there are people of color.
Homophobia doesn’t happen because there are people who are queer. Homophobia happens because somebody can’t accept that there are people who are queer.
There are those who need individual top surgery to feel their body as home. I support their journey. Mine is not the same.
I have a strong desire to be topless in public the way flat chested individuals are.
But I don’t want to alter my chest to do that.
I don’t think I desire to have a flat chest for flat chest sake—
Instead I want to be able to show my chest without a whole ass narrative attached to it!
Of which only feels possible, on a relatively consistent basis, via forming my chest into a way others can accept.
Well, I don’t want to alter my body to accommodate antiquated mindsets about my body.
I don’t want to alter my body to be allowed to act out my desire.
I want the world to have top surgery, not me!
