BBC Woman’s hour

[heather1]

This mornings Womens house had a piece called Plastic Free periods. The trans lobby influces again as at around 17:21 the speaker refers to 'women and Menstruaters' . Not even sure that is a word to be honest.
It’s just insidious.
Hope my link works www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/m0000nf0

Wtf? Well I think we need to make complaints. That is dehumanising.

Well, it will be fair if they say "men and ejaculators" when referring to men's specific health issues.

Blimey. Going to listen now

Got no issue with this. Some trans men menstruate.

If they'd left the word 'woman' out altogether that would be a different matter but 'women and menstruators' is factual and accurate.

Some men menstruate?
Really??
I thought the person needed a uterus to menstruate?

DakiniTawa

The majority of the population consider the words Woman and Man to be sexed, not gendered terms.

I have zero problem calling a trans man born with a uterus a menstuator if that is what he wants.

He can be a chestfeeder too rather than a breastfeeder if that makes him feel better.

I would not be happy to see this terminology extended to all women, but I can't see this happening here.

A quick google search says that it does happen, but it's not as a person with a uterus menstruates. It's the result of a parasitic infection.

Hardly the same as surfing the crimson wave really.

If it was the thinx company then yes they don't talk about women at all. On purpose. Only menstuators. Unreal.

Well, it will be fair if they say "men and ejaculators" when referring to men's specific health issues.

Emasculated men cannot ejaculate.

How do we know this is what transmen want? Was there a poll? What if some of them don’t like it? Why can’t they say transmen instead of the dehumanising term, menstruators? On an individual level, when giving care, fine. But normalising language that many women find insulting, is not right.

How about female?

People that menstruate (aside from women) include trans men, non binary people, young girls, teenagers and some intersex people.

'Women' does not fit the description of all these people, while 'menstruators' covers the lot.

jellyslice I was referring to those males who keep their penises whilst claiming nouns belonging to others

Everyone is non binary 🙄 only women and girls menstruate. Describing us by bodily functions is gross.

The trans lobby influces again as at around 17:21 the speaker refers to 'women and Menstruaters'

They do tampons for bats and elephant shrews now?

Urgh, 'mensturators' just sounds so dehumanising.

Yes it really is dehumanising. Sorry to post and run, but it was just such a odd way to speak.

Women, bats, elephant shrews and chimpanzees.

I noticed that too. It was slightly said under her breath

Can i take it we are going to see a huge TRA campaign to get sanitary bins in male loos now?

It is dehumanising. It also means that every single thing that affects women gets separated out into a separate issues.

Discriminated against because you menstruate? You need to campaign with other menstruators.

Discriminated against because you breastfeed? You need to campaign with other breastfeeders, but of course you will need to rename yourself chestfeeders.

Discriminated against because you are pregnant? You need to campaign with other pregnant people.

Discriminated against when you applied for a job/promotion because you look like you might be pregnant in the near future? You need to campaign with other ... hmm. Maybe uterus havers or people who pass as uterus havers. That one's particularly catchy.

Discriminated against because you were assigned female at birth and are now developing wrinkles, grey hair and a less than perky figure? Tough, what do you expect, you witch! Be grateful we let you live.

There was a time when we could have said 'Oh look, this only happens to women ... and so does this ... and this .... It's almost as if all these things happen to women and not to men! Maybe we could band together and do something about it?' Not any more.

I came here to see if anyone else had noticed this. I think this has finally tipped me over the edge.

I’m completely on board with gender as a social construct - I studied sociology, I spent years debating gender - and people being transgender is no issue whatsoever to me, happy for people to live their lives however they are happy. But gender doesn’t cause menstruation, biological sex does. Humans are mammals, mammals are male or female (or intersex, but that’s not the norm and that’s not what seems to be being considered here). The female of the human mammal species menstruates, the male human does not, regardless of whether or not they want to portray themselves using the socially accepted norms of either gender construct.

DakiniTawa these products are needed exclusively by female humans, adult and juvenile. Just to refresh your memory, the word for juvenile female human is girl, and the word for adult female human is woman.

The most inclusive way to describe the users of menstrual products is "women and girls". This is also the most accurate and respectful terminology. And it is clearly understood by everybody.

Triple whammy! Who knew language could be so clear and lovely?!

JellySlice if a person finds being called a female human upsetting, I am happy to call them whatever they want to be called. Makes no difference to me and does not threaten my status as a female human.

That is very kind of you. I, however, do not think it kind to validate delusions or dishonesty. I consider it unkindness to pretend that a lie is the truth.