Friday October 13 is No Bra Day in the U.S. Since the date is about halfway through Breast Cancer Awareness Month, women use the day and the hashtag #NoBraDay on social media as a means to raise awareness for breast cancer and to support women who've been diagnosed.
Yet, as Bustle points out, some people worry that the day is less about breast cancer awareness and more about posting cute photos or about men sexualizing women's bodies.
It's a fair critique. Some survivors and loved ones of survivors aren't interested in celebrating the day, and some people even think it's offensive. Jean Sachs, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, told Mashable that "breast cancer is a life-threatening illness. It has nothing to do with wearing a bra or not wearing a bra.”
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As someone whose mother died of breast cancer, fuuuuuuuuuuck #NoBraDay. By all means, take cute selfies. But don't pretend it's for this.
— Mara Wilson (@MaraWilson) October 13, 2015
Others say that focusing on breasts (in or out of bras) tells women who have breast cancer that the most important thing about their disease is the sexual attractiveness of the body parts it affects.
Again, we're not saying any of these arguments are unfair. It's totally understandable to want to boycott a day like #NoBraDay over the possibility that it sexualizes women's bodies or makes a serious topic like breast cancer seem frivolous. And it's important to remember that posting a braless photo on #NoBraDay doesn't actually donate money or do anything else to further breast cancer research.
But it also isn't 100% without its worth for survivors. Some breast cancer survivors use the day to support and encourage other survivors, or to find empowerment in their bodies after a mastectomy. These are the posts that get #NoBraDay right.
#NoBraDay
— Kemi Ariyo (@d_problemsolver) October 13, 2017
This is a story of a young lady who beats stage 3 cancer?
Examine your breasts for early detection. pic.twitter.com/5zeCSiulPb
As Bustle points out in their critique of #NoBraDay, breast cancer doesn't really need more awareness in the U.S. People are generally pretty aware that breast cancer exists and that mammograms are important (whether or not they're willing to actually get them). But maybe the potential benefit in a day like this isn't about awareness.
Maybe it's just a day that can help some breast cancer survivors take their power back.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For more stories about detecting, treating, or living with breast cancer, click here.
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