I’ve run across cis women making comments like this way too many times for it to not be A Thing. Usually it’s a reason given for them not being a lesbian. Something like, “I love boobs but vaginas are gross”. I’ve also seen it as a reason to not date trans men, but I feel like there’s something going on beyond standard genital preference discourse and the transphobia attached to that. Can someone explain this or am I just being weird?
In the US, there's a lot of cultural messaging about vaginas being gross. Feminine deodorizing sprays, scented pads and tampons, douches, etc - all that stuff is marketed like it's just an obvious fact that my pussy is naturally gross and I need to Do Something. If that attitude is reinforced by the people around you, it can be really hard to feel good about that whole area
I have known women who didn't masturbate (and didn't want anyone to perform cunnilingus on them!) because they didn't want to touch (and were afraid to let anyone stick their face near!) what they thought of as a gross area. It is really, really, incredibly fucking sad.
Had never heard of this book, but it sounds fascinating from it's Wikipedia plot summary.
Sissy Hankshaw, the novel's protagonist, is a woman born with enormously large thumbs who considers her mutation a gift.The novel covers various topics, including free love, feminism, drug use, birds, political rebellion, animal rights, body odor, religion, and yams.