JUNE 19 ― Farah Ann Abdul Hadi received plenty of flak over her leotard when TV3 uploaded on Facebook a photograph of the artistic gymnast after she won a gold medal in floor exercise at the SEA Games.

Muslims accused the 21-year-old of exposing her aurat and said they could see the “shape of her vagina” in her gymnastics outfit.

Many people, including former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, have come to her defence and told the trolls to shut up.

What is it about the vagina that makes people go nuts?

Even so-called liberals dislike the use of the “V word” in news reports, making it seem as if female genitalia is something that we should be ashamed of. 

Why is the vagina something that should be covered up or not talked about? Unlike the penis and testicles, which are seen as a symbol of strength and authority (though I can’t imagine why since a man will curl up in excruciating pain if he’s kicked in the nuts), women’s genitalia suffer negative connotations.

A cowardly man is called a “pussy”, street slang for vagina. If he lacks bravery, like a certain prominent figure when he skipped a rather important public forum, then people question where his “balls” are.

Nobody bats an eyelid at Malaysian bodybuilder Sazali Abd Samad when he poses in a skimpy thong that reveals the outline of his penis.

Instead, penises and phallic symbols are celebrated ― the bigger the package, the better, like this fashion spread by Vice magazine featuring men’s hard-ons.

But people get their panties in a twist when a young woman wears a leotard that barely shows the outline of her labia (no camel toe visible). It’s a leotard ― what did you expect? It’s the same thing when women wear swimsuits to the beach or short shorts in competitive running.

It’s times like these when I wish women could leave their vaginas at home and go about winning gold medals and achieving things without being hindered by sexism.

If men demand that women cover up their bodies ― their thighs, arms, hair and whatever body part is deemed unsuitable for the public eye ― because they’re aroused and say they cannot be blamed for sinning or for raping such women, then perhaps we should lock men up at home like the beasts they claim to be.

If we see someone eating a delicious ice-cream cone, we don’t demand that she hide it just because we’re on a diet. No, we ignore our cravings because we have self-control; we are not animals.

If we see Baskin Robbins selling ice-cream, we don’t steal some even if we desperately want a cone; we buy it. Likewise, if a man sees a beautiful woman, he should ask for consent before engaging in sexual intercourse, or he can just buy sex from a prostitute.

I’m tired of women’s bodies being shamed and sexualised. It doesn’t matter how old you are – you can be a slender, attractive 21-year-old or a middle-aged woman with a sizable waistline – you suffer the same judgments from both women and men.

Before Farah Ann, people were talking about the Chinese woman who was forced by the Road Transport Department (RTD) to put on a full-length sarong over her skirt, which ended just above her knee, before she could get service at one of the government agency’s offices.

Some said Suzanna G.L. Tan’s skirt was a “little bit short”, while others thought it was “decent.” A few men wondered why her dressing was a problem since she’s “old” and asked how on earth RTD officials could be aroused.

Why do people have to judge her dressing or callously criticise her attractiveness (in a strange, sexist attempt at defending her)? If it was a beautiful young woman wearing a miniskirt at the RTD, she should still be served. Why should a woman’s looks or skirt length determine whether she gets service or not?

It’s completely arbitrary to use hemlines or the amount of skin shown to determine a woman’s “decency” and “modesty.”

Men don’t suffer such judgments. They have the liberty to go about doing whatever they like without being hindered by their body, or social judgments of it.

Women have breasts and vaginas. Deal with it. If seeing women’s bodies makes you go crazy with lust, then turn off the news and stay home, or wear blinders like those for horses when you go outside.

Women shouldn’t have to give up their freedom just because men can’t handle it.

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.