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3 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M arch 12,2020 w aterloochronicle.ca YOUR CITY Visit waterloochronicle.ca for more coverage "To everyone who has a period: You're amazing both when you're bleeding and when you're not. And it's time everyone recognizes that." So says a campaign advocating for menstrual equality at Wilfrid Laurier University causing some- what of a stir on campus and on social media. The campaign, led by Laurier Students' Public Interest Re- search Group (LSPIRG), includes posters with photos of stained panties that say "Ain't no shame in menstruating" and "It's not just cisgender women who menstru- ate," and has spurred discussion on Reddit, one user accusing the group of being "true scum," with others being disgusted by the so- called "bigotry" and lack of empa- thy in threads. "Guys, remember if your penis is bleeding please seek medical attention," reads one post. "Posting disgusting images of underwear in Lazaridis Hall too. Not sure how this is allowed. They can post it in the gender studies class all they want, out- side of that, it's just gross," reads another reaction. "I think it means that trans- gender males that are women menstruate as well. Don't know who was protesting against that fact that they actually had to spend money on an ad campaign like this," reads another. Others question LSPIRG's ap- propriation of funds. On its website, the group claims to help develop advocacy tools and avenues for action as a registered, nonprofit organiza- tion. "Our vision is to act as a reli- able support to student and com- munity members building and sustaining movements that tear down systems of violence and re- place them with equitable and just communities. We stand for anti-oppression, community care and activism." Hayley Newman-Petryshen, LSPIRG member and chair of Wil- frid Laurier University's Men- strual Equity Committee, said she has taken the lead on the cam- paign -- a collaboration between numerous student organizations and WLU departments including the Centre for Student Equity, Di- versity and Inclusion, the stu- dents' union and the Office of Dis- pute Resolution and Sexual Vio- lence Support. The committee was granted more than $7,000 in funding from Laurier's Student Life Levy to support a month-long education- al campaign. "We were disappointed to see that some people are reacting negatively to our message that some trans people have periods, but overall, we have been praised for creating this inclusive cam- paign, and challenging ignorance through education is exactly what our campaign is all about," Newman-Petryshen said. "We also want to make sure that trans and nonbinary folks on campus are aware that their needs have not gone unnoticed. We hope that these posters can help create healthy conversations about the needs of all people with periods, which have inarguably gone ignored for far too long." Menstrual equity encompass- es the idea that everyone deserves access to the menstrual care products they need and also ad- dresses the shame and stigmati- zation associated with menstrua- tion, Newman-Petryshen ex- plained. "We believe that menstruation should be destigmatized, that menstrual care products should be affordable and accessible, and that more awareness needs to be raised about reusable, sustain- able menstrual care products. Our campaign will address each of these issues in the coming weeks." The campaign tab hosted on LSPIRG's website poses the ques- tion: "Rattled by seeing these stained panties? You're not alone." For many, periods are just a natural part of life, the excerpt states. "And yet period blood is so often treated as cringier than a gory scene in a movie. We aren't used to seeing images like this be- cause society actively hides them." The campaign ultimately aims to show people there is nothing wrong with bleeding. "TV commercials depict mys- terious, transparent blue liquid on pads and so many dance around the words 'period' or 'blood' by saying things like 'time of the month'. As women and trans people, we are taught to shroud our periods in shame and secrecy: We thoroughly wrap a bloodied tampon applicator in toilet paper before putting it in a waste bin or discreetly smuggle a tampon from our knapsack to our pocket," it says. "There's nothing shameful about asking for a period product, leaking onto your underwear, or menstruating during sex." Newman-Petryshen said she's been working for more than a year and a half, advocating at grassroots and institutional lev- els to raise awareness and en- courage the implementation of a pilot project to provide free pads and tampons to students. Accord- ing to Newman-Petryshen, 38 per cent of Laurier students and staff struggle to afford the menstrual care products they need. Some posters suggest no one should have to choose menstrual products over food; others en- courage people to make their next period waste-free. "The majority of disposable pads and tampons are harmful to the environment. The average menstruator throws away 250-300 pounds of pads, tampons, and ap- plicators in their lifetime," said Newman-Petryshen. IMAGES OF BLOOD-SOAKED PANTIES HAVE SOME PEOPLE UPSET The Laurier Students' Public Interest Research Group is disseminating information and posters like this one to promote menstrual equality. Bill Jackson/Torstar BILL JACKSON bjackson@kitchenerpost.ca WE SHOULD GET USED TO SEEING SUCH IMAGES, SAYS STUDENT GROUP Catch a Great Deal! Browse our inventory of vehicles by Body Style, popular Makes and Models, Province, popular Cities or by Price. 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