# Transgender activists pressure Always to Womens symbol of feminine hygiene products **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069 "2019-10-21T03:06:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/61 "2019-10-22T11:46:22Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > It seems to me that most sanitary products are gender neutral. The packaging may be pink, but that is about it for the most part. Isn’t this a huge contradiction ? I mean, pink of course does not have an innate womanly nature (quite demonstrably since shit got switched some decades ago, it’s a whole thing), but as of right this minute pink=girly girl. Or pink=faggot, depending on the context I suppose. The point is : pink isn’t gender neutral in any way, shape or form in our current society. Plus this whole debate is about the presence or removal of the Venus symbol from the packaging of one brand, so self-evidently pink isn’t \*\*it \*\*:o ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/62 "2019-10-22T14:28:30Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Isn’t this a huge contradiction ? I mean, pink of course does not have an innate womanly nature (quite demonstrably since shit got switched some decades ago, it’s a whole thing), but as of right this minute pink=girly girl. Or pink=faggot, depending on the context I suppose. The point is : pink isn’t gender neutral in any way, shape or form in our current society. > > Plus this whole debate is about the presence or removal of the Venus symbol from the packaging of one brand, so self-evidently pink isn’t \*\*it \*\*:o If someone is going to blow a gasket because they think a particular color has a gender, I really don’t want to listen to anything that person has to say. Pink is commonly associated with “female” but pink is not the exclusive domain of women or females. I see guys wearing pink all the time. **Broomstick** is correct. I am currently in possession of panty liners in blue wrapping, maxi pads in yellow wrapping, and tampons in purple wrapping. I do have a box of pink-wrapped panty liners (Kroger Brand), which is why they were the first thing to come to mind. But most products on the market are not this color. The vast majority of sanitary products are not girly or womanly. They are close to neutral if not wholly neutral. Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/63 "2019-10-22T19:02:53Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Is it my fault CNN doesnt want to cover things that might possibly show trans in a negative light? I know, right? [Damn those CNN folks, they just insist on covering the story in a neutral, non-inflammatory manner!](https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/22/health/always-period-gender-symbol-removed-transgender-nonbinary-trnd/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/64 "2019-10-22T19:08:16Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > … Look, can we not just make fun of **HurricaneDitka** ’s thoroughly offensive wrongness about it all instead of doing the woker\_than\_you thing, or the feminister\_than\_you thing or… whatever it is you’re doing ? I’m not the wokest or the best informed or even the most empathetic guy out there. I recognize that. I’m absolutely aware of that. I \*am \*trying. … WTF does anything in this thread have to do with me? Why the call to “make fun of **HurricaneDitka** ’s thoroughly offensive wrongness about it all”? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/65 "2019-10-22T19:26:28Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > WTF does anything in this thread have to do with me? Why the call to “make fun of **HurricaneDitka** ’s thoroughly offensive wrongness about it all”? I’m sorry, I meant **UrbanRedneck** ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/66 "2019-10-22T19:29:58Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I’m sorry, I meant **UrbanRedneck** Twice? > [@Kobal2](#): > > … Seeing **HD** ’s ummm enlightened and no doubt thoroughly researched and wildly empathetic take on the subject, it’s evidently going to take a little bit of time. But who are we to judge ? We’re \*still \*working on basic ignorance up in here :p. … Look, if it’s a sincere case of mistaken identity, I could understand, but the fact that you repeated it makes that seem less like a mistake. And why all the personal jabs anyways? I don’t think they’re really much better directed at **UrbanRedneck** than me. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/67 "2019-10-22T19:32:46Z")
Post 24. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/68 "2019-10-22T19:34:43Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Twice? Yes, twice. I confused the two of you in my head. Again, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/69 "2019-10-22T19:42:30Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Yes, twice. I confused the two of you in my head. Again, I apologize. Fair enough, apology accepted. I’ll quit interrupting your pile-on now. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/70 "2019-10-22T20:03:34Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Speaking as someone who used to stock those products on shelves in a store… not pink as often as you might suppose. Lots of dark blue with orange stripes, purple, blue, yellow, green… There’s a brand of tampons that package the tampons in a assortment of colors in each box. Why? I dunno - so you can color coordinate your handbag with your tampon wrapping? Diversity pride? The CEO’s kid liked rainbows? Inspired by a the look of a box of crayons? Who knows? Some women feel since we’ve got to lug those things around, they might as well look nice. If you like color coordinating things, why not coordinate tampon wrapping with your handbag? Some women don’t carry handbags and the little plastic wrapped package is great for a backpack or jacket pocket. Also the colorful little wrapper makes it slightly less obvious what the object which is a good thing for a younger girl already nervous over menstruating. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/71 "2019-10-22T20:12:53Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Speaking as someone who used to stock those products on shelves in a store… not pink as often as you might suppose. Lots of dark blue with orange stripes, purple, blue, yellow, green… There’s a brand of tampons that package the tampons in a assortment of colors in each box. Why? I dunno - so you can color coordinate your handbag with your tampon wrapping? Diversity pride? The CEO’s kid liked rainbows? Inspired by a the look of a box of crayons? Who knows? They’re for different sizes. At least the brand I buy (Tampax). Orange for Extra Super, Green for Super, Yellow for Regular, Purple for Light. Same goes for pads. Makes it easier to grab and go when it comes to suiting up, and a box with an assortment is good if your flow isn’t the same every day. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/72 "2019-10-22T20:51:24Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Now I’m really confused. Yes it appears so. > [@](#): > > Didn’t you enjoin the trans community to be mature and get over it like a second ago ? I shared how I came to realize internalized sexism gave me hang ups about my own period and a desire to distance myself from it’s “womanly” connotations. Then I called my younger self immature. Not transmen. Maybe you can’t relate to this feeling. Maybe you can’t see its relevance to the topic at hand. Maybe you’re a man, and you’re more sympathetic to the feelings of other men than to what women have to say. Maybe you just want to be combative for no reason. I don’t know. But I figured it’s worth sharing this viewpoint because it might help folks understand why some feminists lose patience with men complaining about female symbols on feminine hygiene products. > [@](#): > > Look, can we not just make fun of **HurricaneDitka** ’s thoroughly offensive wrongness about it all instead of doing the woker\_than\_you thing, or the feminister\_than\_you thing or… whatever it is you’re doing ? I’m not the wokest or the best informed or even the most empathetic guy out there. I recognize that. I’m absolutely aware of that. I \*am \*trying. Wait, I thought you wanted discourse? Making fun of the OP isn’t really all the mentally stimulating for me, sorry. > [@](#): > > Counterpoint : you carve where you can. You carve where you can, until you can’t. Which is kind of what we’re talking about right now. I’m doubtful that there is any real market incentive for Always to change how sells its products. If pink, yellow, and other “girly” colored sanitary napkins get bought more often than whatever colors would be tailored for men, then that is what the market will support. I think it’s a mistake for transmen to see exclusion in this. Men can purchase “girlie” stuff without losing their identity, just like women can purchase Gillette “The Best that Men Can Be” shavers everyday for their hairy bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/73 "2019-10-22T21:28:34Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > They’re for different sizes. At least the brand I buy (Tampax). Orange for Extra Super, Green for Super, Yellow for Regular, Purple for Light. Same goes for pads. Makes it easier to grab and go when it comes to suiting up, and a box with an assortment is good if your flow isn’t the same every day. Yes the colors also help me remember what flavor to buy if my grocery list is insufficiently descriptive. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/74 "2019-10-22T21:49:36Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > If someone is going to blow a gasket because they think a particular color has a gender, I really don’t want to listen to anything that person has to say. Pink is commonly associated with “female” but pink is not the exclusive domain of women or females. I see guys wearing pink all the time. Me at work to a coworker wearing a pink tie: Me: Nice tie. Does it come in men’s colors? Him: [looks me right in the eye] This _is_ a man’s color. Me: I cannot think of a better answer. [highfive] ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/75 "2019-10-22T21:53:20Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > I’m doubtful that there is any real market incentive for Always to change how sells its products. If pink, yellow, and other “girly” colored sanitary napkins get bought more often than whatever colors would be tailored for men, then that is what the market will support. I think it’s a mistake for transmen to see exclusion in this. But we’ve established that they don’t, not really. This is just about saying “men can have periods, did you know that ?” to whoever’s listening. T > [@](#): > > Men can purchase “girlie” stuff without losing their identity, just like women can purchase Gillette “The Best that Men Can Be” shavers everyday for their hairy bodies. Obviously. And just as obviously tying one’s identity to consumer brands or products is… not how you’re going to be fine in the head. But, again, this is not what it’s really about. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/76 "2019-10-22T23:30:33Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > Some women feel since we’ve got to lug those things around, they might as well look nice. If you like color coordinating things, why not coordinate tampon wrapping with your handbag? Some women don’t carry handbags and the little plastic wrapped package is great for a backpack or jacket pocket. Also the colorful little wrapper makes it slightly less obvious what the object which is a good thing for a younger girl already nervous over menstruating. Hey, I am totally OK with these things coming in different colors. I am totally OK with color coordination. Options are GOOD. I do find it sad that young women (still - because they also did in my day) find menstruating to be embarrassing. By which I mean more embarrassing than other bodily functions or hygienic things. Sure, people tend to be discreet about speaking of pissing and shitting in polite company (among close friends and family perhaps more blunt). But nobody is embarrassed about brushing their teeth, and young women menstruating should be no more embarrassed than young men starting to shave (in both cases, they need to make sure they aren’t leaving the facilities a mess when they’re done). Or perhaps young women menstruating should be no more embarrassed than young men having a wet dream. You may not want to share the details with your grandparents, but none of it should be a cause for _embarrassment_ in an ideal world. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/77 "2019-10-23T00:59:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Strictly from reading the OP’s linked article, it’s the “feminists” and not the “transgender activists” who sound like the nuts. Wow. All that fuss over something they’re going to use to collect bodily waste? I could not bring myself to give less of a shit. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/78 "2019-10-24T08:47:24Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > This reminds me of a stiry a couple of years back about a campaign to encourage men to be checked for prostate cancer, and there were complaints that it was transphobic because “some women have prostates”, and the campaign was changed to say something like “people who have prostates” should have prostate screenings. “Some women have prostates?” Whoever wrote this is definitely anatomically challenged. Would some kind and well informed soul enlighten me as to where this errant gland would be placed in a woman? ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/79 "2019-10-24T08:50:06Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > “Anyone can have periods” - well, if “anyone” means, only those who have a uterus. > > We’re living in an outright Emperor’s New Clothes society these days. Men can have periods too. They last all month. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069/80 "2019-10-24T10:31:05Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > “Some women have prostates?” Whoever wrote this is definitely anatomically challenged. Would some kind and well informed soul enlighten me as to where this errant gland would be placed in a woman? Somewhere up the buttz. Please, educate yourself on issues of gender even a \*little \*bit. Open an “Intro to gender studies 101” textbook, read an academic paper on the subject of gender or gender expression, Google what doctors and shrinks and anthropologists or even historians have to say and write about gender, shit even watch some bargain bin youtube vulgarization video, I don’t know, _any_thing. But you’re not going to be able to meaningfully contribute to this conversation from a point of smug, mean-spirited ignorance. You can disagree with or counterpoint the arguments; quibble with the data or the conclusions derived from the data by the scientific community… but you kinda have to know what they are first before your disagreement has any merit whatsoever. Reason doesn’t run on unexamined gut feelings. Socrates told me that, so shout out to my boy Biggie S, much love. Allow yourself to doubt that you already hold all the answers and know all there is to know. It’s step one in learning anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transgender-activists-pressure-always-to-womens-symbol-of-feminine-hygiene-products/842069.md?page=5)