#bleedingwhiletrans

This photo of tampons and feminine wash was taken at my local Family Dollar store. The pink box and “feminine” label on the wash are discriminatory to those who identify as transgender. I have purchased products similar to these so many times and not given a second thought to those who these may offend. This class has helped me see how gender is extremely limiting and humiliating for those who do not fit into the “norm”. In “Gender Outlaw”, Kate Bornstein writes, “So, there are all these types of gender which in and out of themselves are not gender, but criteria for systematic classification. And there’s sex, which somehow winds up on top of the heap. Add to this room full of seeds the words male, female, masculine, feminine, man, woman, boy, girl. These words are not descriptive of any sexual act, so all these words fall under the category of gender and are highly subjective, depending on which system of gender one is following” (30-31). Can you imagine seeing yourself as a man who just happens to have been born with a female biology and having to purchase these products in front of people who may ridicule or judge you? Everyone should be included and feel safe from judgement when buying products for personal hygiene. Gender, pink, and feminine should not be associated with these products. It is irrelevant to the purpose in which they are intended to serve.