Raise your hand if you think items shouldn’t be gendered.
There are certain products from toys to razors that are labeled “for girls/women” which are often pink and have higher price tags. Talk about sexism.
One brand that did away with adding a female symbol on their products is Always, which is known for its sanitary pads. This came after netizens asked why they put the said symbol “when men (trans men) get periods too.”
This was also brought up last September. A Twitter user said, “Think about your non-binary and trans customers who have a hard enough time mentally dealing with periods as it is.”
Always has responded to several netizens on Twitter since September and said they’ll relay it to their team.
In a press statement to “The New York Times,” Always announced they’re removing the female symbol on all their sanitary products. “For over 35 years Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so,” a Procter & Gamble (P&G) spokesperson said. “We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all our consumers.”
This is a progressive move for a sanitary napkin brand—and admittedly, something I never thought about but it does make sense. However, not everyone is thrilled about Always’ decision to remove the female symbol. Many critics are saying it’s crazy to remove it since pads are “exclusively for biological women” and that “We’re now moving towards the total elimination of women’s biology.”
The most talked-about reaction to Always’ decision was from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 10 alum Mayhem Miller, who posted about their negative thoughts on Facebook. Fellow contestant Aquaria also tried to educate them on gender neutrality and why the brand went that route.
Removing the female symbol on sanitary pads is indeed a drastic move, especially since we are all programmed to think that only cisgender women use these. But we also have to remember there are people who don’t identify as any gender (non-binary) and trans men who are transitioning and still experience periods. You can argue they are “women” based on their biology, but that is different from what they identify as and we should respect that. (Read: SOGIE)
Props to Always for listening to their consumers. It might take some time for other brands to go in a similar direction, but this is still an important move nonetheless.
[Popsugar]
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
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