When I first saw the hashtag #TamponTim circulating on social media, I was excited. What high praise, I thought. As someone who has worked in menstrual equity for the past 15 years, I was grateful that Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was receiving recognition for the significant steps he’s taken to support menstrual equity, including eliminating the tampon tax and ensuring that free menstrual products are available in all public school bathrooms in Minnesota.
The truth is Gov. Walz’s actions are not just commendable; they are groundbreaking.
The nickname, of course, was intended as a slight — spurred by fans of the Trump/Vance ticket as an attempt to ridicule men for standing up for women’s rights and menstrual equity and specifically to contort and promote the hypermasculine message coming from the GOP. But the truth is Gov. Walz’s actions are not just commendable; they are groundbreaking. By removing the tampon tax, he made Minnesota one of the few states to recognize the absurdity of taxing essential health products. Currently, 21 states still impose tampon taxes. The average menstruator spends about $13.25 per month on menstrual products, which amounts to over $6,000 in a lifetime. Eliminating the tampon tax can significantly reduce this financial burden and improve economic inequalities.
Walz’s administration also implemented policies ensuring that menstrual products are freely available in public school bathrooms. This move is crucial for students who might experience their first periods unexpectedly or who cannot afford products at home. According to a 2019 study by Plan International USA, 1 in 5 girls in the U.S. has missed school because of lack of access to menstrual products. Period poverty is a real issue in the U.S. Providing free products in schools can help mitigate this issue.
Leaders who acknowledge these issues also help destigmatize menstruation and prevent shame and embarrassment for something that is so natural. These actions demonstrate a genuine commitment to supporting the well-being and dignity of all people who menstruate.
Walz’s push to put menstrual products in all gendered bathrooms is where this amusing, supposedly derogatory, nickname came from. But I really think the name should be embraced and celebrated.
Walz’s progressive policies stand in stark contrast to the wave of regressive legislation sweeping across the U.S. Laws like Florida’s “Don’t Say Period” bill, which restricts discussions about menstruation in schools for students under 12, are a blatant attack on freedom and on speech, and are detrimental to the health and dignity of our young people — regardless of whether they bleed or not.
In other states, there are moves to subpoena menstrual data, which has the potential to be weaponized against people in states where abortion access is restricted. These laws are not just invasive; they are dangerous. In 2022, Missouri and Florida lawmakers proposed bills to require the tracking of menstrual cycles for minors, raising significant concerns about the potential misuse of such data in states with restrictive abortion laws. Even though the bills have not passed, the initiatives behind them highlight the dangers of overregulating menstruation, which exacerbates a culture of shame and silence around menstruation. Such practices can have serious health and social consequences, underscoring the need for careful consideration of privacy and ethical implications.
In other states, there are moves to subpoena menstrual data, which has the potential to be weaponized against people in states where abortion access is restricted.
Unfortunately, periods have been used as a political football in other political fights. Specifically, the anti-trans, anti-abortion, anti-sex education and pro-religion-in-schools groups, which continually use the policing of periods as means to other ends. As a consequence, today there are more laws regulating periods in America than in other countries, highlighting a troubling trend. Walz is a rare example of a politician willing to take a stand for menstrual equity, and we need more like him. The current landscape of laws targeting menstruation is not just absurd; it is alarming.
For the past 15 years, the Desai Foundation, the programmatic nongovernmental organization that I run, has been working in menstrual equity across India and has seen firsthand the consequences of ignorance, debilitating stigmas, limited access to products and other aspects of menstrual equity that lead to impacts on health, reproductive health, education, economic empowerment and beyond.
It’s crucial to build a coalition of policymakers across the U.S. who understand that menstrual equity is a matter of basic human rights.
As we look toward future elections, it is essential to remember that bleeders are voters. And there are a lot of them. Politicians who advocate for menstrual equity are likely to gain support from voters who prioritize health, gender equality and reproductive rights.
A 2021 survey by YouGov found that 60% of Americans support eliminating the tampon tax. Think about how that could translate to voters in a presidential election. There is widespread public support for policies that promote menstrual equity; we just need to talk about them more. Let’s encourage more of our representatives to earn nicknames like #TamponTim by supporting initiatives that make real differences in people’s lives and advance menstrual equity.