By D’Anne Witkowski
It still hurts. Even six years later, my breast is still sore from when a surgeon carved it up and yanked out a couple of tumors (one was cancer, one wasn’t. Best of both worlds!). The pain comes and goes, but it has never gone away.
So let’s just say I am very aware of breast cancer. I don’t need a month to remind me.
But here we are. October. Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Paint the town pink.
Look, I don’t hate the color pink or feel enraged when I see someone wearing a Race for the Cure t-shirt. For a couple of years after my diagnosis, I even dyed part of my hair pink, doing the whole pink thing in my own way.
Of course, I want people to be aware of breast cancer. I want women to take changes in their breasts seriously and get the medically recommended screenings.
But here’s my problem with October: awareness isn’t the same as access. There are still far too many people without access to health care. Breast cancer can occur no matter what your gender identity. If you’ve got breast tissue, you need access to breast care when you need it.
Access to health care should be a right. In this country, it isn’t. I have no patience for anyone who pins a pink ribbon to their shirt if they don’t also support health care for everyone. If you think healthcare is a kind of reward for making the “right” choices in life, then you can take your pink ribbon and shove it.
Americans are obsessed with war stories. The breast cancer stories that get told are either “I’m a survivor!” or “She lost her battle.” The reality is so much more complicated.
If you really want to help people with breast cancer, skip buying the pink merchandise. Elect leaders who champion things like health care for all, eradicating racism and sexism, universal childcare and Pre-K, family medical leave, reproductive choice and keeping Planned Parenthood operating, ending the wage gap, disability pay so that people getting treatment don’t have to work and can focus on healing, and marriage equality so that married people who don’t fall into the category of cisgender and heterosexual have all the legal protections marriage affords (I know from experience how crucial those protections can be).
There is only one major political party that supports such things. These are Democratic values. Republicans are largely against any legislation that would actually demonstrate care and concern for people with breast cancer in any concrete, meaningful way.
And I think that’s what bothers me so much about what some have termed “pink washing.” Breast cancer awareness is something easy for everyone to get behind. But that pink ribbon is just a costume that makes everyone look like they’re all on the same team. But we’re not. There’s not enough pink in the world to atone for voting for Republicans who don’t support the real things that people with cancer need.
So I’d like to rebrand this October as Breast Cancer Awareness Awareness Month. Be aware that breast cancer awareness is literally the least you can do and is not tied to any meaningful action to fight breast cancer or help people with breast cancer. Pink is a color. It’s not a cure.
There is no “both sides” here. Republicans have made it clear for decades that they’re not up to the job when it comes to public health, something that has been on horrific display for the past two years. Don’t trust them with your breasts. Hand them their asses. Vote them out.