Women and Transgenders are Feuding Over the Female Symbol on Maxi Pads or Something

Source - The maker of Always sanitary pads has given in to claims of discrimination by transgender men and removed the ‘Venus’ symbol of the female sex from the wrapping.

Outraged women are now boycotting the leading brand after the decision by makers Procter & Gamble (P&G) to kowtow to trans activists who were born female and still use sanitary products.

Last night, feminists warned that the concession is a chilling move towards the ‘elimination of women’s biology’. ...

A trans activist using the pseudonym ‘Melly Boom’ had tweeted in July asking Always why it was ‘imperative’ to have the sign on their sanitary products. 

The tweet said: ‘There are non-binary and trans folks who still need to use your products too you know!’

Another activist, Ben Saunders – named young campaigner of the year by LGBT charity Stonewall in May after making a documentary about being transgender – contacted the sanitary pad makers in June with a similar complaint.

The Always marketing team replied with a comment that Saunders, 18, posted on Twitter, reading: ‘We are glad to inform you that as of December we will use a wrapper design without the feminine symbol.’ ...

But many of Always’s female customers have responded angrily to the move and are vowing to switch to other sanitary products.

Leading feminist campaigner Julie Bindel told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Removing the female symbol from sanitary towel packaging is basically denying the existence of women.

Every so often in this life, you come across a fight that doesn't involve you, where you don't favor one side or the other, and the outcome will have zero impact in your life, but nevertheless you just have to watch the battle unfold. (Note: Were this any other argument I'd have said, "I don't have a dog in this fight." But I've been at this long enough not to step on the wasp's nest with that particular metaphor. That's the Thornton Difference.) For instance, I don't care about soccer. Or most other countries. But I'll watch a World Cup match between, say, German and Brazil, just because it means so much to the people in the stands. I'll watch a YouTube of two gamers debating some realm they're really into that I know nothing about, just because it's so important in their lives. I admire the passion, even if I don't share it. The human condition that inspires so much emotion, even if I don't have a personal stake. Which is why I'm utterly fascinated by this beef. 

To me, this is a weird hill to die on. You'd think of all the places in the world you could find common ground on, it would be people who menstruate being in solidarity with other people who menstruate. But what do I know? I'm an aging manchild who was raised by an Irish Catholic mom who taught us that everyone has the same basic needs and bodily functions, and all should be treated with the same amount of shame and embarrassment. So I'm no expert on the topic. But just to try to put myself in their shoes, I can't help but feel that if I was bleeding from my vagina and needed something to help contain the damage, the last thing I'd worry about is the symbol on the wrapper. Regardless of what pronouns I prefer to go by. If it comes down to a choice between saving my jeans or my soul, the Relaxed Fit Wranglers are winning every time. 

Again, what do I know? Last weekend I was down at WVU with my family to see the Iowa State game. That's considered Pittsburgh country so all the Bud Lights had Steelers logos. That didn't bother me because all I cared about was the refreshing and delicious beer inside. But apparently for Melly Bloom, Ben Saunders or Julie Bindel,symbols on packages mean a whole hell of a lot. That the package for Always is the battlefield of this culture war. Their WWI front, where they've dug into their trenches and will fight it out to decide the fate of the world. Their No Person's Land. And either women's biology will be eliminated and the existence of women will be denied, or non-binary and trans folks will continue to live lives of discrimination. 

I never could've imagined this would be a thing, even as recently as five years ago. But here we are. This is the world that's been created on our watch. And while I'm not taking sides, I can't help but be endlessly entertained by who weirdly fascinating this all is. I wouldn't want to live in any other time. 

P.S. If you're going to sell a product that stops bodily fluids from getting all over the place, I think "Always" is the perfect name. I don't know how the makers of "Depends" manage to stay in business.