The Inseparability of Pride and Period Equity

What do pride and period equity have in common? More than you might think! 

1. Social movements rooted in protest. 

Both pride and menstrual equity represent a refusal to accept systemic injustice. 

On June 28 1969, New York City police raided a gay club called the Stonewall Inn, sparking 6 days of riots between community members and law enforcement. The Stonewall Riots went down in history as the catalyst for the queer rights movement we know today. 

In pushing back against stigma, shame, and systems built without us in mind, the menstrual equity movement isn’t so different. Its origins trace back to second wave feminism, also in the late 1960s. 

Menstrual equity is so much more than access to products: it’s about a cultural and political shift toward recognizing menstruation as a normal, healthy part of life.

Period poverty is an issue in human rights, public health and gender equity caused by the very same unjust systems that sparked the Stonewall Riots. 

2. Incomplete without the inclusion and amplification of intersectional voices.

Injustice doesn’t affect us all equally. Your race, class, gender identity, religion, and geographical location (among other factors) play a role in determining what life challenges you will and won’t face. This phenomenon is known as intersectionality. 

This is why – in the fight for queer rights and menstrual equity – changemakers must take an intersectional approach. 

That means intentionally including and amplifying the voices of trans and nonbinary folks; Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour; and all communities who’ve been historically excluded from decision-making spaces. 

Canada might be progressive in queer rights on the global scale, but we can’t take that for granted while anti-translegislation continues to be passed in certain provinces. 

Policies like the tampon tax removal and the provision of menstrual products in federal workplaces are signs of progress. But, we can’t settle for those wins while 1 in 6 menstruators in Canada – many of which are unemployed and unhoused – are still living in period poverty. 

All efforts for queer liberation and menstrual equity are only as effective as the extent to which they benefit the most marginalized communities. 

3. Belief in a world of human rights, dignity, kindness and empowerment 

A world of queer liberation and menstrual equity is one where all humans are free to exist as their natural, authentic selves.

Where everyone feels safe, confident and empowered in their bodies – free from shame, stigma, and discrimination. 

In the end, both pride and period equity are rooted in the belief that the world can and should be better. 

Help us create that better world by booking an education session or supporting our work. 

And, to support the queer community this month, we strongly encourage checking out and supporting Friends of Ruby – a Toronto-based organization that provides free mental health support, housing, and social services to 2SLGBTQ+ youth aged 16-29. 

Happy Pride Month!