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People who menstruate

(367 Posts)
maddyone Fri 04-Sept-20 16:06:45

I’ve just looked at my Yahoo page and I saw a news item claiming that a very well known high street shop which sells health products, make up, and sanitary products, have launched a new kind of sanitary pad that is washable which is very commendable in today’s over polluted world, but the wording on the box says, and I quote ‘For people who menstruate.......’ because the store didn’t wish to upset/offend anyone by using the word ‘women.’

I know we’ve had threads discussing transgender issues before, and I don’t have a problem at all with transgender people, but when I saw this I honestly thought that the world has gone mad. Is there really a problem with saying women menstruate? It’s a fact isn’t it? I’m perplexed to be honest. What do other Gransnetters think?

suziewoozie Fri 04-Sept-20 18:57:57

And * Star* what is a transwoman? A man with a penis with facial hair in a frock who says he self ids as a woman? Yeah sure- put him in a woman’s toilet next to a 15 year old young woman washing out her bloodied knickers? That’ll work.

gulligranny Fri 04-Sept-20 18:46:34

Thank you Suzie, all now clear.

suziewoozie Fri 04-Sept-20 18:41:29

Star if ONLY the problem were about people with penises in women’s toilets. If ONLY

Galaxy Fri 04-Sept-20 18:40:31

What is a woman star blaze?

suziewoozie Fri 04-Sept-20 18:39:37

gulli Trans Rights Activists.

Starblaze Fri 04-Sept-20 18:37:27

I still don't get the problem... I'm assuming my opinion on that as a woman is valid but I don't see how it detracts from women in general and I'm very definitely a feminist.

Now there is a few MORE women, being a woman is wonderful and the more support, inclusion and equality for all women, the better.

My periods don't define me.

I also hope they finally get lost for good soon because I hate being a person who menstruates lol

Side note: I also don't see why it is a problem for trans women to use a woman's bathroom when they were doing it anyway and the only difference is that now we know lol

Personally I don't like anyone seeing me change and I really cannot poo in a shared multistall bathroom etc and would value a move towards seperate unisex cubicles everywhere!

Desdemona Fri 04-Sept-20 18:32:38

When did life become so complicated?

annep1 Fri 04-Sept-20 18:31:44

I agree with LadyBella, it's a lot of nonsense.

SilentGames Fri 04-Sept-20 18:28:48

And a man doesn’t produce sperm! Does he? It’s got me thinking now ?

Chewbacca Fri 04-Sept-20 18:25:39

Excellent post janeainsworth; effectively saying that women are not different from men.
We are.. We are not an homogenous mass of people; there are biological differences between us, despite what the "woke" amongst us are trying to say.

There are some lively and vociferous discussions about this subject on MN. Worth a read to see what they've got to say about it.

gulligranny Fri 04-Sept-20 18:21:00

Suzie, what's a TRA please? This one has bypassed me ...

I agree with all you've said on the "disappearing" of women; I used to enjoy concerts at the London Barbican complex until they decided to open the "Ladies" to self-identifying ladies. No thanks, I need to feel safe when I've got my knickers round my knees!

Glorybee Fri 04-Sept-20 18:20:52

I recently read an article by Dr Mark Porter who was discussing the treatment of women who receive treatment for heart disease. All the research had been done for men and it is only just coming to light how vastly different men and women react differently to the same drugs and treatments, as they are so differently made up.

I have no issue with men and women wanting to live as the other, but there is no way, ever, that can men really become women at all, and vice versa.

suziewoozie Fri 04-Sept-20 18:15:10

We may all be people but we are shaped by our biological sex in so many ways. It’s not the same as ‘people who wet the bed’ or ‘people who have mobility problems’. I would love to know actually how many transwomen actually expect the word women to disappear in relation to biologically sex based issues? The real villains in the transgender world imo are the TRAs who want women to disappear, be erased. The TRAs both hate and fear biological women - I don’t see transmen as hating and fearing biological men. The fact that I don’t menstruate now is irrelevant to the fact I am a woman. I have the lived experience of my biological sex and that remains true whether I was ever able to menstruate, or was ever pregnant or gave birth or not or breastfed or not.

janeainsworth Fri 04-Sept-20 18:13:17

They aren't any less women for that so I think it's right for trans women to also not feel any less a woman for that

You’ve lost me there Starblaze. I would have thought it was trans men who had the problem with sanitary products being described as for women, because they’re still menstruating (unless they’ve had surgery), want people to think they’re men but have to buy sanitary products for women.
I honestly don't get why it is a problem, we are all people yes we are, but there are differences between men and women (women menstruate, men don’t) but these manufacturers, by pretending that both men and women menstruate, are effectively saying that women are not different from men.
We are.

maddyone Fri 04-Sept-20 18:11:39

Starblaze the difficulty with marketing towards people who wet the bed is that these products are not for people who wet the bed. My old mum needs to wear a pad all the time because she is very old and leaks somewhat as her muscles are ageing and she hasn’t got the control she once had. The pads solve the problem for her. The ones for men are the same, to wear all the time. I haven’t studied them as my dear old dad never had any problems in that department, but I would imagine that ones for men are shaped somewhat differently. The pads for women are more or less the same as those for menstruation.

Doodledog Fri 04-Sept-20 18:02:17

maddyone

Interestingly, when I do my Click and Collect shop online, I tag my Mum’s shopping on to mine and then deliver it to her. Most weeks she needs some ‘sensitive bladder’ pads. There are also similar pads marketed exclusively for men. Is this also a problem?

Isn't that because of the different urinary arrangements for men and women? Much like girls' and boys' nappies - the boys' ones have more gel at the front, and the gel in the girls' ones is concentrated between the legs.

LadyBella Fri 04-Sept-20 18:00:40

It's pathetic. This gender nonsense has gone too far.

annsixty Fri 04-Sept-20 17:59:33

Almost every form to be filled in now, after name and address , is followed by the question “ what gender do you identify with.”?
I do not answer that and tick the box which says I prefer not to say. I really want to say I don’t identify, I am a woman ,but I really can’t be bothered.

Galaxy Fri 04-Sept-20 17:55:55

Women is not a dirty word.

Shelmiss Fri 04-Sept-20 17:53:28

I used to be a person who menstruated but now that my periods have stopped does that mean that I’m not a woman anymore? I don’t know I get confused about it all.

I do know however that I am a woman. And no person (trans or otherwise) is going to make me believe I’m not.

Starblaze Fri 04-Sept-20 17:50:32

I honestly don't get why it is a problem, we are all people. If a product was aimed towards "people who wet the bed" I wouldn't mind and I don't understand why it would be a problem.

Some women don't menstuate at all and most don't do it all of their lives... They aren't any less women for that so I think it's right for trans women to also not feel any less a woman for that...

Galaxy Fri 04-Sept-20 17:44:22

No it tends to be women that are targeted.

maddyone Fri 04-Sept-20 17:38:22

Interestingly, when I do my Click and Collect shop online, I tag my Mum’s shopping on to mine and then deliver it to her. Most weeks she needs some ‘sensitive bladder’ pads. There are also similar pads marketed exclusively for men. Is this also a problem?

BlueSky Fri 04-Sept-20 17:35:54

You are right Maddy how convenient for the young actors to jump on the current bandwagon!

maddyone Fri 04-Sept-20 17:33:23

Oh no Meryl, I hope you’re not all going to unfriend me grin

Actually Meryl, I do remember something about JK Rowling now you mention it. As I said in my original post, I don’t have a problem with people transitioning at all. I just think it’s strange to avoid the mention of any gender words at all when the event being described is pertinent only to one gender or the other. Women do menstruate, and if someone has transitioned but not gone the whole way by having a hysterectomy, then biologically they remain a menstruating woman. That however doesn’t mean they can’t appear, dress, act, and in all other respects be male.

Re JK Rowling, she is entitled to hold any opinion that she wants, as can the rest of us. Some opinions cannot be voiced though.