As more awareness trickles in about transgender and genderqueer identities, and the focus of menstruation as a women’s issue slowly (very slowly) shifts to a more gender-inclusive definition, another issue naturally comes to light- that of gender-neutral menstruation products.
A lot of transgender people that experience dysphoria during menstruation have agreed that other than the biological process itself, a large part of it is also because of the way society perceives menstruation as something ‘feminine’ that ‘bonds all women.’ However, not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are women. This is something a lot of period product brands don’t seem to realize; by having their marketing strategies target only women, they end up alienating an entire community of people who don’t necessarily identify as women but still need to use these stereotypically ‘girly’ pink and flowery items to deal with their monthly bleeding, which becomes a trigger and source of body and mind dysphoria for many genderqueer people.
There are some brands, however, that have taken note of this issue and are striving to produce more gender-neutral sanitary items or gender-affirming products that are compatible with everyday sanitary items. This article will cover a few such products that challenge the way we think of periods.
Starting with Seattle-based underwear brand TomboyX; in particular, this queer-owned business’ First Line Leakproof collection. It is a collection of absorbent period underwear, which can be worn along with, or as an alternative to, common sanitary products (pads, tampons, or menstrual cups). The collection has gender-neutral as well as traditionally masculine underwear designs, like the First Line Trunks or Boxer Briefs. Not only does their underwear come in dark colours and is size-inclusive, but the clothing brand also has a range of other trans-friendly products, like their Gender Euphoria apparel collection, and they have worked with a lot of queer-identifying models in the past. In addition, they are a sustainable brand and work with several non-profits. The only significant problem that customers in India may face is that, with international shipping, these products can get very expensive and are thus not the most accessible to the majority of the transgender community here, who are already very stigmatized and face unemployment issues. One would face the same problem while ordering from brands that offer similar products, such as Thinx or Pyramid 7.
A substitute to this that several genderqueer people recommend is using any commercially available pair of boxer briefs, which are a size or a half smaller than your regular size (to prevent leaks) with wingless pads - or tampons, which may help in the sense they’re not a constant visual reminder of the process. Though this method isn’t fool proof and doesn’t entirely escape the clutches of period gendering, it is a viable alternative for those who cannot access or afford brands like those mentioned above.
With more and more people becoming environmentally conscious, there is also a subsequent search for sustainable period products - and there are companies that make the same without using any gendered language. In particular, Lunette makes menstrual cups in many different colours and sizes, not restricting their product designs to only reflect conventional femininity. Another such company is GladRags, which makes reusable cloth pads - these also come with the added flexibility of having a central holder where one can put in one or more absorbent ‘inserts’ depending on your flow.
Once again, addressing the issue of cost, making a DIY reusable cloth pad is entirely possible if you have the suitable materials and a sanitary environment and disinfect your pad in between cycles properly - as you would with a menstrual cup. If you’re looking to make one at home, click here for a comprehensible tutorial.
We hope this article was at least a little helpful to any genderqueer readers and informative to the rest. While these methods, along with self-affirmations, may work for some, they will only provide a little or even no respite from dysphoria for others. Gender identity is a unique experience, and only the individual can decide what is best for them. Just a shifted perspective is not always enough. For many transgender folks, medical treatment is necessary - whatever that treatment may look like, on a case-to-case basis. But surgery and hormonal treatment are often inaccessible and denied to people. In that case, while not the perfect solution, these methods may bridge the gap between body and mind. And for all those who are currently going through this, hang in there! We’ll try our best to continue providing resources that may bring you even the littlest of comfort.
-Venne
EXTRA: Relevant sources not linked within the article:
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