Tampon producer Tampax has sparked online rows after tweeting ‘not all people with periods are women’ in a move to make the brand inclusive of trans and gender non-conforming people who menstruate. The tweet was tagged with #periodtruths and #transisbeautiful. Although the brand made the tweet in September it has only just been picked up on by media outlets and has caused some to call for a boycott, saying Tampax ‘didn’t understand biology’.
One Twitter user said the gender-neutral language was “removing women from our own issues” and another said Tampax wouldn’t be ‘getting another penny’ from them. However, others praised the brand, with one user saying it was ‘great to see’ more LGBTQ+ inclusivity and several thanking Tampax. Another tweeted: “I’m a trans man who experienced periods for 13 years; thank you! I may not need your products anymore, but this makes me feel good for everyone who still does.”
The Tampax row came shortly after Superdrug received a similar response for the launch of its gender-neutral sanitary range, Luna, which was created to be “as inclusive as possible so all communities feel seen.” Many praised Superdrug for the move but some referred to the gender-neutral phrasing on the packaging – ‘people who menstruate’ – as ‘lunacy’.
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