Reply from the Body Shop re JKR... just so dreadful...

You’ve missed the point entirely.

The point is that only women menstruate. Only women have periods.

No man will have a period, ever. Every individual in the world who menstruates is a woman.

No need for the extra words.

Betty you don't see why we need a word to name the class of people with the types of bodies which can gestate? No, I don’t. I’m not being obtuse for the sake of it. Why do we need a word for the subset of women who menstruate? And if we need one, why haven’t we had one until The Bodyshop have randomly decided to create one?

FFS. And yet again, we need to "educate ourselves". How did I know that was going to crop up in their response?

I no longer menstruate. What does that make me?

A woman who no longer menstruates. This isn't hard, unless you are very obtuse indeed.

But what is a woman? How do I know I'm a woman?

Presumably because you have female biology? whether it's working or not and regardless of your age.

How do you know you're a women?

TorkTorkBam

Betty why would they use confusing language that many would not understand: "menstruators".
No idea, the word generally is pretty vile (as in, it just sounds so unnecessary). I’d definitely sign a petition asking for no one to ever use that word ever again.

Perhaps this is why I’m not getting it. I don’t have an issue with “people that menstruate”. But I’m gathering majority here would prefer it to stay with “women that menstruate”. Yes?

Betty you don't see why we need a word to name the class of people with the types of bodies which can gestate?

Wow.

And you don't see why that suggestion appalls women?

Is there a particularly woke company which may have plenty of public toilets? Restaurant chain etc. I fancy tweeting them and making sure they’ve used lockdown to full advantage to install tampon machines in all their gents.

Do you think when people say "look here", it's exclusionary and offensive to blind people?

I no longer menstruate. What does that make me?

Oh, can people stop muddying the waters like this? . You're a woman. You know this.

But what is a woman? How do I know I'm a woman?

@Betty98 - Lets say you’re designing a leaflet with information about periods.

The people you want to reach are: pre-teen and teen girls who haven’t started menstruation yet but will in the next few years, people who regularly (or irregularly) menstruate now, people who are not currently menstruating but presumably will at some point in the future (pregnant/on contraception/temporary medical problems etc) and people who no longer menstruate or have never menstruated but have responsibility for one of the aforementioned persons.

Bearing in mind that some of these people will have low reading abilities, English as a second language or just not be very bright. Also assuming that any trans men or non binary people must have a grasp of how their body works to be able to make the informed choice of becoming trans or non binary

What would be the one catch all word for a group that all of these people would recognise that they fall into, but wouldn’t catch the attention of the group of people to whom periods are not ever going to be relevant to?

Women.

So Betty you are saying we know women are really adult females but we'll go along with the pretense of males who think they're women, even though we know they're not and it stops us being able to actually talk about and name the distinct group of adult females.

So we give up the ability to define ourselves and therefore to talk about ourselves, to be nice to a tiny group of males who wish they were women?

Why?

Damnit, I literally bought Body Shop stuff this week for the first time in ages.

That’s off the list again then :/

BabyItsAWildWorld I don’t really see why they need a word. “Women that menstruate”, “transmen that menstruate”, “anybody who identifies anyway they want that menstruate”.

However, as someone who doesn’t menstruate, I don’t think I currently have any authority on the matter.

Is this what the issue is; that these companies should only be saying “women who menstruate”?

I'd best get my husband to ring the doctor tomorrow as he has never had a period.

Maybe he's pregnant?

buy shaving gear.

Betty why would they use confusing language that many would not understand: "menstruators".

For centuries men have treated women as less than human. As possessions, as accessories, as breeding mares or sex bots. Here The Body Shop objectify women by reducing us to bodily functions.

A transman or non-binary person who menstruates knows they are a biological woman. There is no confusion for anyone if they use the word "woman". The message gets to the right people most easily.

You will note they didn't change the label of "men" on their public material to refer to them by bodily function. Apparently transwomen aren't so confused by the word "men" that they fail to realise they can by shaving gear from The Body Shop.

Why do women get treated like morons or worse? While men get to keep their word for themselves! Men are men. Women are objects.

I no longer menstruate. What does that make me?

Do you have the type of body which menstruates?
Then you are a women, if you are an adult, whether you actually menstruate or not.

But you knew that really didn't you?

People who claim they're non binary never seem to have any issue with the word men, do they? Odd. I don’t think I’ve ever met a non binary person, so no idea.

I am happy to accept they believe they are men
They aren't actually men Isn’t that what the body shop are also saying? That they’re happy to accept they believe they are men?

I no longer menstruate. What does that make me? A woman? I don’t menstruate, but I still can’t see where TBS are claiming women shouldn’t now be referred to as “menstruators”.

Ffs. That is all.

We hope this helps you understand our position

Yeah, loud and clear. You're going to carry on calling women and girls (including 'non binary' females and transmen who've not yet been sterilised) 'menstruators'