I understand that we are in a culture shift right now. With the influx of new period brands and the push towards ending the tampon tax, people are talking about periods now more than ever. While women march in Washington D.C with pink pussy hats and signs that say “My Uterus My Choice,” I think it is time for us to sit down with what this all means.
It is incredible that menstruators are rallying to reclaim their body in a public and political way. I also love that menstruators have more options to choose from when they visit their local pharmacy for period products. But I can't help but notice that amidst all this period visibility, there remains a filter over the real menstrual experience.
Of course everyone’s cycle is different, but ultimately there are realities we cannot deny. First off, your period is not pink. Your vagina is is not a cat, flower, or any other cute euphemism you may reference. Your blood is not glitter or grapefruit juice. Your vagina is a reproductive organ and your period is the shedding of the lining of your uterus.
While the creativity used in the period space is not lost on me, I think we are doing ourselves a disservice when we rely on patriarchal depictions of menstruation to be palatable. It is not our burden that our period makes other people uncomfortable, it is theirs. When we begin to censor our real experiences to fit the palate of those who do not menstruate, our movement isn’t about us anymore. What are we reclaiming if we aren’t centering us?
I know that the counter argument will be that our society isn’t culturally ready to see blood dripping down our legs. We have to ease them in. But what does it say about our society when we are more comfortable seeing people being murdered in Hollywood films than seeing someone experience natural bodily functions? I am just not buying it.
Millions of people are bleeding every month in silence because we are conditioned to feel shame, which is a byproduct of the patriarchy. Our movements towards period justice needs to address the patriarchy head on, not work within its framework.
I am not telling you to throw used tampons at the White House. I am simply challenging you to center unfiltered stories about menstruation. When we remove the glitter, and the fruit images, and the euphemisms, what is left? Let’s explore that.
