The Vagina Museum is a real thing, established in London in 2019 to “educate visitors about vulvas and vaginas while challenging the prevailing stigma surrounding them.” We didn’t know there was such a stigma against vaginas, but there is about gendered language. This week, the Vagina Museum offered a thread about eliminating gendered language from your vocabulary. Instead of saying fireman, say firefighter. Easy, right? And instead of saying “women and girls,” say “people who menstruate” or “people who have periods.”
Here are some really easy changes you can include in your language moving forward.
Instead of 'sanitary products', say 'menstrual products'
Instead of 'feminine hygiene products', say 'period products'
Instead of 'becoming a woman', say 'starting puberty'— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) July 15, 2021
Instead of 'women's health', say 'reproductive health' or 'gynaecological health' (whatever you prefer)
Instead of 'women and girls', say 'people who menstruate' or 'people who have periods'— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) July 15, 2021
— Mrs. Murdersmith (@Murdersmith) July 17, 2021
How’s about NO!
— Rebecca Ní Chuilinn 💚🤍💜 (@Beck_C) July 17, 2021
Thank you, Front-Hole Museum.
— Barry Thain 🟥 (@mindsci) July 17, 2021
All hail the ratio.
— Dand-Baithak Normaliser (@rrban014) July 17, 2021
Could you provide some examples of gender neutral terms for “men’s health” please? This thread isn’t very inclusive
— Suzy (@SuzyBeattie) July 16, 2021
My daughters don't have their periods yet. My mum has stopped hers. Should I call my girl "person who hasn't started her period yet" and my mum "a person who has stopped having her period"? Is it ok to call my mum a mum or should I call her my person who gave birth to me?🙄 pic.twitter.com/sy1XkN8dEk
— ClauS 💙🇪🇺🇬🇧🇭🇺🌏💚🤍💜🐝🌈 (@spier_claudia) July 17, 2021
“Birthing person.”
I no longer menstruate. I am not defined by menstruation.
— Bipolar Courage (@CourageBipolar) July 17, 2021
I menstruate and am also not defined by it. I am a woman, not a menstruator.
— gingerkittykat (@gingerkittykat9) July 17, 2021
Not happening. I didn't go through a lifetime of suffering from menstruation, cramps, scary blood flow, childbirth, lactation, menopause, and crazy hormones to be defined by those who haven't.
— annabel lee (@aharbo) July 17, 2021
I will not.
— Carson Goldeneye (@bjhnyc100) July 17, 2021
Nope.
— Trippy Pip (@TrippyPip) July 17, 2021
I can't believe this thread is even real. What the hell? Let's erase women. Also, please could you point out some examples of inclusive terminology to refer to men's health?
— Ginny Anzola (@Vanzola4) July 17, 2021
Suggestion rejected. "Language" isn't "evolving." A rather tiny, mostly rich, mostly white group of activists is trying to force new linguistic standards on the rest of us.
— M.C. Don Aconda (@bruno_wilhelm) July 17, 2021
Gynecological health is ancient Greek for women's health. How does that help?
— gościu (@FoggyMeow) July 17, 2021
Once upon a time women worked hard to be recognized and now we have a vagina museum that doesn't even recognize women. Our sisters would be proud.
— Thinking out loud (@FreeAlberta6) July 17, 2021
Absolutely not. "Women and girls" it will remain. You will not reduce an entire human being to their periods.
— Dr. Ameena (@amkmusty) July 17, 2021
Parody account confirmed 9/10
— 4t,IQ (@PsiloWard) July 17, 2021
Why do you hate women?
— catie lord (@tudsgrl) July 17, 2021
Women and girls are awesome!
— marsinreverse 🇦🇺🇮🇱🇨🇺🇹🇼🏳️🌈 (@marsinreverse) July 17, 2021
Why on earth would I do any of this?
— Sara Lauchlan (@sara_lauchlan) July 17, 2021
How absolutely ridiculous.
— Goonerdee (@goonerdee) July 17, 2021
— Greyhame 👑 (@SocraticLunacy) July 18, 2021
Here is a novel idea. Why not just say women and girls? You know, the ones who do actually menstruate and have periods! Radical I know but worth a thought?
— Jacky (@jackywinfield89) July 17, 2021
You cannot be serious. Absolutely NOT. Y’all love erasing women in order to cater to others.
— The Louisiana Gatekeeper. (@Citriness) July 17, 2021
Are you trying to ERASE women and girls? ONLY women and girls menstruate. PEOPLE do not menstruate. WOMEN AND GIRLS DO.
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) July 17, 2021
I'm a women's health professional. I will continue to use the word "women," especially because research shows us that women from the most vulnerable populations can't identify themselves with "people who menstruate." You're prioritizing woke language above women's health. Shame.
— 💀 (@angryskelleton) July 16, 2021
That is actively harmful to women's rights. Stop obscuring the language we need to describe our embodied realities as women.
— slightlyatsea (Deb) 💙NHS 💜🤍💚 (@slightlyatsea) July 16, 2021
So in order to be trans-inclusive, you’re actually supposed to stop using the word “women” — otherwise, you’re a trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
Related:
Toronto’s mayor proclaims #MenstrualHygieneDay to help end the stigma surrounding periods for menstruators https://t.co/TlReANIFkN
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 29, 2020
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