Mother Of Cancer Survivor Shares Message With American Women Shaving Their Heads For The 4B Movement — 'You Only Care About Yourself'
She is encouraging her fellow females to be more sensitive and considerate.
oneinchpunch | Shutterstock In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, some American women are feeling fearful and hopeless about their futures in our country.
To regain a sense of control, some have decided to participate in a feminist movement known as the 4B Movement to retaliate against traditional gender expectations, which they see as oppressive. Some women joining the 4B movement are shaving their heads to challenge some of these gender norms.
While this gives them a sense of independence and liberation amidst the current political atmosphere in the U.S., others find their overall message offensive and hurtful.
One mother is calling out those shaving their heads in solidarity with the 4B movement, pointing out that some women and girls, including her own daughter, did not have a choice when it came to losing their hair.
What is the 4B movement?
The 4B movement has gained a lot of attention following Trump’s election. Young liberal women across social media platforms have shared their support for the feminist movement that began in South Korea around 2016 after a woman was murdered by a man near a Seoul subway station.
The man claimed that he had killed the woman because he had felt “ignored by women.”
The incident shed light on the brutal treatment of women across the country, mostly at the hands of straight men. Therefore, many South Korean women have sworn themselves to a life without men completely.
4B is shorthand for the four Korean words bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae and bisekseu, which in English translates to no marriage, no childbirth, no dating, and no sex with men.
Some American women have taken on the same ideals, vowing to never have sex with, date, marry, or have children with men in response to Trump’s win.
Their goal is to challenge male-dominated social structures and to advocate for personal autonomy and the protection of women from abuse and economic disadvantages that are often linked to men in power.
Some American women aligned with the 4B movement have even opted to shave their heads, with some claiming that they are doing so to deter men since some men find bald women “less attractive.”
However, one mom claims that their actions are causing more harm than good for women.
A mom of a cancer survivor explained how the 4B movement is hurtful to people like her daughter.
When Bridget Lindner’s young daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, she underwent chemotherapy treatments that caused her hair to fall out.
After undergoing such a drastic change to her body, the little girl sobbed in her mother’s arms, saying that she “didn’t feel beautiful anymore.”
Lindner shared that she has spent “countless hours pouring out love and healing words” to her little girl, hoping to rebuild her confidence after enduring such trauma.
Seeing women willingly shave their heads to make themselves look unappealing to men has felt like a slap in the face to her.
“I couldn’t give two [expletive] about your political views, but if you’re shaving your head to make yourself look ‘ugly’ to men, then you really don’t care about women and their self-worth. You only care about yourself,” she shared in the caption of her TikTok video urging women participating in the 4B movement to stop shaving their heads.
Women in similar situations have echoed the mom's claims, begging others to reconsider shaving their heads.
A woman named Jess, who battles alopecia, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to patchy hair loss on the scalp, face, or body, is sick of people assuming that she is part of the 4B movement.
“There are people that have lost their hair like me, and it has been devastating,” she tearfully said in a TikTok video.
“You guys claim to be so caring and kind, but look at what you're doing. You guys are not realizing that you are triggering people that have lost their hair.”
“You guys are a bunch of [expletive] cry babies, just like I'm being right now because you guys have started a trend that is now affecting people like people that have cancer and me. Good job,[expletive]!”
Opinions vary greatly on whether the 4B movement is truly more harmful than good.
Some agree that the 4B movement could potentially be hurting women and girls more than supporting them.
“As a cancer survivor, I find the 4B movement offensive,” one TikTok user shared.
“I lost a wife to breast cancer at the age of 32. It was completely devastating to her when she lost her hair due to chemo. She was so beautiful. You are too. I miss her. They don’t have a clue,” another user commented on Jess’ video.
“For a party who claims to be all about love and kindness, they sure are dismissive and cruel about our experiences,” another user noted, referring to liberals who are participating in the 4B movement.
However, others claimed that those who are offended by the movement are missing its point.
Polina Kovaleva | Canva Pro
They argued that the intent has never been to offend women who have lost their hair but to feel empowered about a personal decision they made regarding their physical appearance.
“Not everything is about you,” one woman addressed those who were hurt by women shaving their heads to demonstrate their solidarity with the 4B movement.
“Personally, when I shaved my head, I stopped getting catcalled and harassed. It’s so freeing and amazing to be bald-headed, and having a bald head deters men who only care about looks.” The woman added that she shaved her head long before the 4B movement started gaining U.S. attention.
Ultimately, the choice to express solidarity for the 4B movement does not have to exist in contrast to the struggles of health-related hair loss.
Not all women have the choice to shave their heads as a means of protest, and many may feel that women who do are passively insulting their appearance. They are entitled to their opinions. The fact remains, however, that if you look hard enough in life, you can and will find something to be offended or hurt by.
The intent behind the 4B movement is to bring people together. It's a peaceful demonstration that allows many to channel their hurt into something positive.
Some women may feel beautiful when they have long locks of hair, while some may feel it when they choose to shave it all off. Others may feel it when they are fighting for their lives, and losing their hair is part of the sacrifice. Others may feel it when they are fighting for justice in an oppressive environment.
Beauty goes far beyond mere appearance, and each interpretation of "beautiful" adds depth to how we perceive others, ourselves, and the world.
To the women who have willingly shaved their heads and those who were forced to lose their hair, you are both beautiful in your own unique ways, whether you chose to be a part of the 4B movement or not.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.