Free Tampons Now

Jessica Valenti Wants Free Tampons Now. Because Women's Reproductive Health!

Written by  Mockarena

When I read this column by Jessica Valenti, whom we've tangled with before (see here), I laughed SO HARD, because she's making the case for tampons to be free, you guys.  We actually predicted this would be the next liberal feminist cause du jour (you'll see that when our book comes out this October), and it's something I was trying to get a read on from liberals when I asked these questions several weeks ago.  (Just look at the first question!)
Liberal feminists are so freaking predictable.
In her column, Jessica makes her case for taxpayer funded tampons by suggesting that "...too many governments don’t recognize feminine hygiene as a health issue. We need to move beyond the stigma of “that time of the month” – women’s feminine hygiene products should be free for all, all the time."
By that logic, why isn't toilet paper free?  EVERYONE POOPS, you guys. We need to recognize pooping as a health issue. Never mind the fact that it's normal and natural and not indicative of any sort of problem whatsoever.  And guys need razors.  Why is Jessica being so sexist?  And we all need soap and toothpaste.  And hey - what about disposable diapers for babies?  BABIES NEED THEM.  Why is Jessica being so baby-ist?
Jessica laments the fact that food stamps don't cover feminine hygiene products. She laments the fact that tampons are not considered tax-exempt or tax-deductible medical care expenses, forgetting that menstruation is NORMAL, and not a medical problem to solve.  Just like pooping.

Jessica insists that "menstrual care is health care" and that anyone who doesn't believe women should at least get tax breaks on feminine hygiene products is guilty of lacking "an incredible amount of empathy...because it has something do with vaginas."
EVERYTHING has something to do with vaginas when you're a liberal feminist.  As Jessica clearly demonstrates.
Menstrual care is not health care.  It's hygiene, just like so many other things - bathing, shampooing, shaving, wiping, teethbrushing, diapering.  Next, Jessica will insist that Midol or Pamprin should be free, because they are for "women's healthcare."

(I probably shouldn't give her any ideas.)
Slate.com defended Jessica, because of course they did. But they got it wrong too, when they said, "By targeting Valenti for abuse for even bringing up the issue of free tampons, anti-feminists ended up proving Valenti's point: Menstrual products are treated like luxury items that you "score" instead of medical devices that you need because there's so much cultural discomfort with women's bodies".  That's just patently absurd.  No one is suggesting that menstrual products are luxury items that you need to "score."  But they are NOT "medical devices."  Far from it. Women may "need" tampons, but not any more or less than anyone "needs" other hygiene products. And certainly not more than I "need" vodka after reading Jessica's column.  But Jessica isn't whining about universally needed hygiene products, because with liberal feminists, EVERYTHING IS ABOUT VAGINAS.
There's actually, unfortunately, a whole campaign to make tampons free right here. And yet, there also exists a re-usable, environment-friendly product called the Diva Cup which Jessica could easily use (and re-use and re-use every single month) for a once a year cost of less than $40.  Not to mention the fact that somehow, women for centuries have survived without free tampons (or tampons at all, for that matter).  But leave it to liberal feminists to convince themselves that tampons are the next "human right."

It's amazing to me that they don't realize how weak, pathetic, needy and woe-is-me they sound when they start demanding that everyone else pay for their stuff.  So much for empowering women.

 http://chicksontheright.com/posts/item/26286-jessica-valenti-wants-free-tampons-now-because-women-s-reproductive-health