Lunette (menstrual cups) policing our language.

[littlecabbage]

I was interested in the MN sponsored thread about Lunette menstrual cups, and so had a look at the Lunette website. Unfortunately, there is an entire page dedicated to discussing “cis-women” and multiple “genders”, and lecturing us all on “how feminine-only language hurts” and how they would like to police our language for us.

I will therefore not be buying this product.

uk.lunette.com/blogs/news/gender-and-period-care-products

What to Say Instead

So, it’s pretty clear that the use of female-centric words needs to cease in the menstruation industry. This begs the question of what to say instead.

Depending on the context, you can try to avoid naming groups of people. For example, instead of saying “Some people who menstruate prefer Lunette” you could say “Lunette is a preferred menstrual care product”

We’ve changed racist labels. We’ve changed sexist labels. Now, let’s change cisexist ones. Periods are not inherently feminine. Periods are a biological phenomenon that impacts the lives of people who are born with a uterus. We have the power to grow toward inclusion of all people who menstruate, and now is the time for that shift. All people deserve to feel comfortable taking care of themselves during their time of the month. Period.

Here is the MN thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_product_tests/3741592-Find-out-what-MN-testers-thought-of-the-Lunette-menstrual-cup

"This is the feedback thread for the 50 Mumsnet users who have been testing the Lunette menstrual cup over the last 3 months."

I'd be interested to know if comments from any of the 50 users have been deleted, but I can understand why they wouldn't accept general comments.

Yes, I've had an email from the lovely Michael this morning, "telling me off" for daring to bring this matter to the attention of other women.

In the past, I've felt that MN has been on the side of women who are attempting to prevent the erasure of women's rights. But now I am wondering whether Mumsnet were aware of Lunette's ridiculous blogs before they partnered with them?

It is either a massive failure to research the company beforehand, or Mumsnet is happy to partner up with misogynistic companies. If the latter, why are they risking alienating a massive source of the traffic to this site?

Maybe I should sign up for Spinster.

The naughty corner Is gonna be rather full..

The lovely Michael has emailed me. He told me off and said I was derailing the thread.

Naughty Dobby, bad Dobby.

If it has been a woman telling me off it may have made more sense, but I’m afraid that Michael has erased all the women at MNHQ and he’s the only one left.

I wonder if there will come a point where HQ decide to have a complete shift towards feminism. Supporting women across the board.

Inviting people on here for web chats, for instance, who either support women, or could do with being challenged.

Or only partnering, specifically, with companies who support women. Only doing reviews of products the makers of which understand what a woman is.

It could become a huge political force. With a world changing influence.

They like writing on the tin, but they could, if they wanted to, actually do it it says on the tin, too.

the menstruation industry
eh?

The menstruation product industry perhaps.

The language is so dehumanising. So de-womanising. I am not a worker on a production line in their menstruation industry.

I'm a woman who may or may not use the product they are touting. And touting on Mumsnet ffs.

Yes Datun, wouldn't that be fab? World changing indeed. If only someone had the nerve...

How did it ever get to the point that Mumsnet takes money from people who want to erase the term women?
And then censors womens' objections?

Presumably this cup will have the mn logo on it? Thereby strengthening the erasure campaign.

littlecabbage you are the messenger of an (informative) message which doesn't suit the narrative - and it seems messengers get emailed.

Michael has given me a deletion message now.

I understand they want to make money. But there are plenty of people out there making products, who support women. Target them. Build up mumsnet as a brand who are known to truly support women. Ferociously. Vehemently. It's a brilliant USP.

He has erased the other messages. He’s fast on the button this morning.

I totally get that they need to make money to keep them in gin .
But I think they need to be careful who they sell their logo to.

I’ve had a warning. I must behave otherwise I’ll be banned.

Nothing to see here.

Banned for what exactly?

For being naughty and posting on the product test thread.

I said “ Michael we know what you are doing.....you are trying to erase women”

This is wrong and bad it goes against the Talk Guidelines.

They’ve deleted my message on the feedback thread. It isn’t even a deleted message, like it was never there.

This feels rather like censorship... I appreciate MNHQ are being paid for the feature but surely this feedback is pretty important to the advertiser? I'd be furious if I'd paid for market research and the company involved cleansed the feedback...

What? This is just getting silly.

I have emailed MNHQ but they’ve ignored me.

This feels rather like censorship

They've been doing this to FWR regulars on political web chats for a while now.

surely this feedback is pretty important to the advertiser? I'd be furious if I'd paid for market research and the company involved cleansed the feedback...

It's not market research though, it's an advert made to look like market research. I wonder how many posts which are negative about the products are deleted? It concerns me there is not even a 'this post has been deleted' message. They are being entirely deleted as if no one ever posted. It doesn't even appear on the threads I'm on list anymore, just watching.

It concerns me there is not even a 'this post has been deleted' message. They are being entirely deleted as if no one ever posted. It doesn't even appear on the threads I'm on list anymore, just watching.

Seriously. Not new. Same thing has happened on the Stella Creasy, Philip Lee and John McDonnell web chats.

Giving us strikes hasn't shut us up so we're now being disappeared entirely.

I wonder how many posts are erased. On other topics and for other reasons. It’s freaky.

Although I can’t comment now on anything. Zipped lips.

Naughty Dobby. No socks for you. Go and do the laundry.