Why do feminists always bang on about periods?
W hen I was asked that exact question, I laughed. I truly laughed out loud. A man posed the question and I laughed because he just seemed so bloody confused about the whole thing, about the constant vocal discussion from people about having periods. Not to take anything away from him, I mean, it’s true: a lot of feminists want to talk about menstruation. So, why is that? I can only answer for me. Feminism means different things to different people, and everyone’s focus for their feminism can be different, made up of a multitude of beliefs. So, the reason I talk about periods is because people don’t want me to talk about them. Though I suspect others feel the same. It’s the shame, you see, it’s the shame that’s attached (as if with sticky wings) to the forced silence about the topic. The shame is multi-layered and strangling and it comes from a variety of reinforcing sources. It’s definitely getting better, but when I was going through puberty menstruation was seen as...