Menstruators!!! - What's Up, Docs? on Radio 4

[IdaGlossop]

This is an interesting programme on Radio 4. I have learnt that 1/3 of menstruators suffer period poverty. Interesting. I have learnt that the plastic in a packet of sanitary towels is the equivalent of eight plastic bags. Interesting. I have learnt that it is possible to make a 30-minute programme about the defining physical process of the female body without once using a female pronoun. Ludicrous and infuriating.

YABU = menstruators is an inclusive word to use to describe male and female people losing the lining of their womb each month

YANBU = menstruators is an absurd word that panders to the deluded fantasists who have persuaded themselves that a human being born male can lose his womb lining once a month for 40 years.

Ah - I am post menopausal - does this mean I am a man now? - how exciting!

Mind you I did have to tweezer out a long hair from my chin this morning!

I got pissed off with the Radio 4 Sliced Bread podcast after they did an entire episode on sports bras without mentioning women once. Fucking BBC hates women.

BBC have guzzled the trans kool aid. They absolutely despise women. Shame on everyone involved in this pathetic little programme. Traitors.

Casuistry, as regards the discussion here, since nobody’s arguing about that, since it’s not the point.
At bottom, fudging language in this manner has been a way to embrace men who insist on their right to be seen and endorsed as women.
It’s an imposition which was based on no consultation, and we just woke up one morning, and there reason and biological reality were: gone!
To make blokes happy, through relinquishing our bloody words, if you don’t mind.

But you reminded me, when you mentioned patriarchal stereotyping. Not all women are to be identified by big tits, ‘American hair’, lavish makeup, and high heels.
That these have long been stock in trade of impersonators and remain the quick fix for ‘men as women’ still, it seems even trans women are the tools and agents of patriarchal oppression ( not that I’ve ever doubted it)

🤣
We just fade from view, and generally cease. Men sure don’t want us in their club.

What are you talking about?

This whole thing is like an infection that is spreading.

Has anyone noticed that on mumsnet many posters have started using “they” for no discernible reason, when referring to their child, husband, etc. It can be very confusing and I think those posters think that is correct grammar.

Yes, I've noticed that. Another step away from clear communication.

Those men, and it almost always IS men, who’ll say ‘There’s a female in the office who….’ and ‘It’s females who are responsible for road accidents’
He’ll unwaveringly refer to their counterparts as ‘men’ though.
Seriously (and although my post may have been badly put) this is very real indeed, and rarely issues from ordinary decent blokes.

Ah, I see. Yes, I don’t like being called a female either. But in this case it would be an accommodation I could make to avoid being “a menstruater”.

Please recognise the difference between "female" and "woman", which are words describing half of the human species (ie. sex), and "womanhood" and "femininity", which are words describing the socially constructed roles imposed on this half (ie. gender).

Far too many people nowadays seem to believe that simply naming "women"'s biological functions reduces women to these functions. It's an astonishingly naive and dangerous perspective - "sexist and regressive", in fact.

It seems so obvious to me that we need to retain and be able to use words that distinguish human females from human males - including with reference to their bodily functions - without assuming that this means that the people being described using these words are reduced to these functions.

Calling someone a "woman" in a health context, simply to establish that she likely has / has had / will have experience of menstruation, to enable appropriate care, is not a "patriarchal misogynistic trap", for goodness sake! It's a necessary linguistic descriptor to enable her health to be protected, and her legal protections as part of the class of humans who carry babies to be upheld etc.

It doesn't say anything more about her - nothing about her appearance, her personality, her strengths, her weaknesses, her humanity... Nothing! Because there are no limits to what a woman can be in these respects. Saying "women menstruate" doesn't change this. In fact, it's those who say it that it does who are drawing a totally unnecessary linguistic arrow from "women and menstruation" to "women and limitation".

Now, that is "sexist and regressive".

I never saw such desperate desire for absurdly impossible precision in language until this movement.

Hah, yes. You’re damn right about that!

Fuxking hell. The mind boggles 🫣

It’s ironically called ‘the stronger sex - what science tells us about the female body’ and the blurb talks about women. I was so excited and then in the opening chapters there’s a long spiel about how TWAW. And lots of examples of trans women’s strength etc.

A theme is how women are suppressed by men and don’t get the same opportunities which affects their lives later on. True. But then talks about how men who spend their childhood and teenage years as men with those experiences and hormones can become women - and they overcome challenges and are stronger so why can’t ‘cis’ women.

Aside from the accuracy issue it really hurt my brain trying to process who she meant at times

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stronger-Sex-Science-Tells-Female/dp/1805460889

There is one collective pronoun for them……..W**kers!
after all it’s what most of them do for 40 years, at least, probably more 😂😂

I don't menstruate anymore due to an early hysterectomy.

But only women menstruate so I would have no issue with the programme referring to women throughout. I can use common sense to know it doesn't apply to me!

Absolutely no need to erase the word woman and dehumanise us.

I am impressed (I think!) that you managed to get so far w/o your poor ears melting or catching fire with rage. What a load of old twaddle.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I have read on here, why shouldn't my daughter listen to R4? How disabilist.

I haven't heard the original full radio broadcast. BUT
I did hear an excerpt on pick of the week.
About "how creative I am when I'm on my period" said the guest Expert. Literally sharing her own experience and how she said other women feel same.
Revelling in their hormonal cycle.

I felt proper BOAK and does that mean creative people should be paid double when menstruating and only a minimal retainer rest of the time? Who wants to perpetuate the stereotype of women as Creators (literally). Don't care about the word menstruator but would rather no one believes my creativity peaks must coincide with a menstrual cycle.