Mention the word "clitoris" and some people get touchy -- and not in a good way. But that could change quickly because May 6—12 as the first ever "International Clitoris Awareness Week," a seven-day period designed to celebrate the female body part.
The organization behind the week is "Clitoraid," a Las Vegas-based group usually devoted to helping victims of female genital mutilation around the world.
However, Clitoraid spokeswoman Nadine Gary said the message behind "Clitoris Awareness Week" is more whimsical.
"We've noticed that the clitoris
has not gotten its spot in the limelight. It makes people feel uncomfortable," she told The Huffington Post. "For this week, we don't want to focus on genital mutilation."
Gary said the clitoris has gotten the shaft since the 19th century when orgasms achieved by touching it were considered "immature" compared to vaginal orgasms.
"The clitoris doesn't have a reproductive function so it can be minimized," she said. "It's up to eight inches long -- same as a penis -- but it's inside."
Gary has experience doing offbeat awareness campaigns like Go Topless Day, which protests laws that prevent a woman from going topless and "Swastika Rehabilitation Day," which was designed to remove the Nazi stigma from the ancient symbol.
"We found that whenever something has an 'awareness day,' it makes it more comfortable to talk about," she said.
Future International Clitoris Awareness Weeks will be held the first full week of May, which just happens to be National Masturbation Month.
Masturbation is something that Gary hopes to touch on during Clitoris Week.
"There is a taboo around sexuality," she said. "We want to point it out and talk about it. Maybe some women will go to masturbation seminars."
To that end, Gary hopes to inspire other women to talk about their sexuality to others, much like actress Rosario Dawson did recently when she admitted in an interview that she calls her vagina "the General."
"We want to prompt women to speak out and celebrate their sexuality," Gary said.
She is hoping to arouse interest in "Clitoris Week" by having fellow Clitoraid members dress in giant vagina costumes and hand out fliers on the Las Vegas Strip.
Meanwhile, LA-based pornographer Mike Kulich is lending a hand to the clitoris cause by filming a DVD featuring various porn actresses engaged in self love tentatively titled "I Love My Clitoris" with all proceeds going to Clitoraid.
Regardless of how the inaugural "Clitoris Week" goes, Gary already is thinking about next year.
"Most American holidays have a drink associated with them," she laughed. "Maybe someone can come up with one."'
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