Intertwining Menstruation and Identity

It is hard not to be frustrated by the lack of insight displayed by the majority of society on the subject of menstruation and identity, something that has always been taboo. The conversation continues to be very one-sided and excludes anyone with a uterus who does not identify as a menstruator.

Not all transgender and non-binary people can change their gender markers on legal forms or have access to medical treatments like hormone therapy or surgery, and it’s not necessary for them to. The responsibility of such individuals to live a life of acceptance does not lie on them. The transition must take place in the way people understand gender and the expectations that are associated with it. Biological sex is not the same as gender, and gender is non binary. Therefore, menstruation must not be understood as a conditional statement.

What needs to be done is normalization of the fact that all genders and body types may bleed. The current norms only add to the stigma that transgender and non-binary people are constantly subjected to by the idea that women bleed and men do not. It is a lot of work to explain to people that periods are not just “girl problems”.

Our conversation about periods needs to be inclusive, and we need to increase sensitivity to ensure that those who believe their bodies have betrayed them can feel supported, regardless of whether they can bleed or not. This starts at home and should be enforced in schools and the media. Companies that sell menstruation products and their accompanying ads need to present outside of a gender binary and offer support to men, women, nonbinary, and genderfluid folks.

Representation is vital to the queer community, not just for those who identify as LGBTQIA+, but also for the education of people who have never interacted with these people so that they may no longer be the sole educators and protectors of themselves.

~Aditya