Clue (Period Tracking App) has drunk the Kool-Aid

[Terfing]

medium.com/clued-in/gender-dysphoria-and-your-cycle-5c9922bad7ef

(Stolen from Reddit)

I have this app, but I will be deleting it now and I will tell them why!

We really need to vote with our feet with stuff like this. It is unacceptable!

"Want to avoid the pink and flowery section of the supermarket? Reusable pads or a menstrual cup can be a good option. Cups only need to be changed twice a day if your flow is not heavy. Pads don’t need to be inserted, and if you use reusable cloth pads you can change them quietly without that telltale “wrapper sound.” You can buy or D.I.Y. pad-friendly boxer briefs."

Oh, there's such a thing as period dysphoria! I have that. Don't most women?

I haven't read the whole thing but the part you quote seems ok. Isn't it just suggesting ways to limit discomfort caused by sex dysphoria?

Erm... what exactly is your issue with an app that tracks menstruation? I've read it all twice and I can't work out your issue?

OP I have no idea what your problem is with this article. I have no issue with it at all and won't be deleting my app

Out of interest what will you be telling them when you tell them why you're deleting it?

This doesn't excessively bother me, because it's supporting people in rejecting something associated with their sex (which is the individual's business), rather than appropriating something that is of the other sex (which becomes everyone's business!)

I'm guessing it's more this bit:

not all people who menstruate are female

I assume the OP is objecting to this.

Menstruation isn’t a “women’s issue,” it is an issue for people who menstruate.

Sorry but I can't join in with your dislike there I'm afraid.

This isn't about transwomen who are sulking because they don't have periods and women shouldn't mention them.
This is about transmen who are also having periods. I don't really have an issue.

I haven't written my complaint to them yet, but will post it when I do.

My issue with the quote I posted is within the wider context of the article, i.e. that only 'cis'-women will want flowery period products.

"Gender dysphoria happens when a person experiences distress because of a mismatch between their bodily appearance and their gender identity. When you get your period but you’re not a woman, this can cause discomfort and anxiety — especially when many people equate menstruation with femaleness. Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are female."

"At difficult times of your cycle, or anytime you feel dysphoric, try wearing your favorite outfit. Clothes that you feel good in and that affirm your gender can make a huge difference, as can binding (using a binder to flatten your chest) or packing (padding your underwear to give the appearance of having a penis)."

"Remember that having a period doesn’t make you female any more than having nipples makes someone a mother."

that only 'cis'-women will want flowery period products.

Quite. Why should women be assumed to be happy to go into the "pink and flowery section"? Because women naturally love all things pink? Also their apologising for using the term "female" when talking about menstruation doesn't sit well with me.

And of course getting your period never causes discomfort or anxiety "when you are a woman".

I disagree that not only women have periods but overall I'm finding it hard to get riled by this. If these women feel dysphoric about their bodies and these tips help them then ok.

Um, there are quite a lot of very odd things in that article, IMO. Not least:

''Remember that having a period doesn’t make you female any more than having nipples makes someone a mother.''

I have no problem with Ftt for reasons that will get me reported and deleted. OTOH, Clue stopped working for me ages ago, maybe it feels I am too ancient now to require it.

Don't like their suggestion that people might want to consider a hysterectomy to stop periods in the context of dysphoria, either. Hysterectomy isn't a trivial procedure.

My issue is that they're presenting transgender nonsense as biological facts. Clue is a popular app, used by lots of women who won't question this for fear of being labeled transphobic. We need to challenge this nonsense! The next generation deserve better!

True enough Terfing. The weirdness that is transing of language makes me itch.

 especially when many people equate menstruation with femaleness.

Um, because males don't menstruate?

I have no problem with the app suggesting menstrual cups and re-useable pads or giving advice on how to alleviate dysphoria, but it has to be possible to do that without denying basic female biology. It reads very strangely.

Yes, advice for dealing with dysmorphia should be encouraged. But I don't think that a hysterectomy should be recommended unless absolutely necessary!

I can't get massively fired up about that piece, although I agree it's a slippery slope.

This though, from the Doula Project, is so far down the slope, it's in a pool at the bottom. (I notice the author has turned off the commenting due to 'trolls'. Which I am assuming were people who thought she'd taken leave of her senses).

docs.google.com/document/d/1pSq-wQq_gVCw7Px4gexKH1QXY5X9nJCaR-mCXWGvBVM/mobilebasic

Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are female.

It's a sea of well-meaning ridiculousness, that doesn't make me want to use clue when there are so many other period tracking apps out there.

It's also the co-opting again - 'not all women menstruate' - no, they don't they might be pregnant or on birth control, or post menopause, or have had a hysterectomy, or have some kind of disorder - plenty of reasons. None of these reasons apply to males. None of these non-menstruating women are emailing clue asking for more inclusive language because they feel left out of an app they don't need.

Don't use non-menstruating women as a way to shoehorn men into the woman category.

I can't disagree with the suggestion that medics should use people's names rather than calling them Mum and Dad. The "how's Mum today?" thing makes me scream.
I may just be tense and anxious because I'm now unsure about whether having nipples and fake periods but not being a mother entitles me to be a woman though.