Always Cancels Women

Can I have something FOR MY PUSSY THAT IS STRICTLY FOR HER?! Always has decided to remove the Venus☥ (feminine) sign from its line of sanitary products. Before you can guess, this has something to do with transgender/gender equality… Of course.

Before you get mad at my introduction, keep reading. You guys know that I’m an asshole.

I have absolutely no issue with anyone standing up for their rights, fighting for equality, or whatever it is that oppressive forces have made one’s life fight or purpose. However; when it comes to a point where I am beginning to feel attacked as a natural born woman, that identifies as a woman, I have to say something.

This product is for me. I menstruate by nature. This symbol is mines. Why does it have to leave now? What kind of digital-aged menstrual women’s suffrage is this?

The LGBTQ community is so powerful that they can influence a major feminine brand such as Always to remove any signs of femininity from their packaging. While I do fundamentally understand that the transgender community is rapidly growing but… Why this? How is this right and fair to the very women that support this brand and have been for decades?  I can understand the argument of those who no longer identify with their natural born gender but this very move has seemed to leave the very women, who were born female and identify as such, practically voiceless on this one. Damn Always, do you even care about your women supporters?

If you do not have a body that menstruates, you have absolutely no right to speak your opinion on this matter whatsoever.

In an article that the feminine product giant did with the Washington Time, the company stated:

“ For over 35 years Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so. We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion, and after hearing from many people, we realize that not everyone who has a period and needs to use a pad identify as female.”

But what about me?  Why can’t I continue to patronize a product that was created for my menstruation that has the feminine logo? It is apparent that times have changed. I have no problem with change but… Why is it that Always  made such a move like this only off of one side to the equation?

Would it have been to much for Always to consider women? The issue of some customers feeling uncomfortable with the product because they do not identify as a woman is the perfect opportunity to open up a dialogue and include the very people who support the brand.

Let’s take Dove for instance.  This company saw an issue with the fact that the mainstream media often fails to show the image of a real woman’s body. Every woman is not thin, young, perfect, etc. Everyone’s body has it’s own history and ugly parts. They took this need and created a campaign celebrating the real beauty in every body regardless of flaws. This  campaign made people talk, it got peoples attention. The visual representation alone of having women standing there in all forms was something that was liberating…And Dove was the creator standing in the middle of this campaign…. To be honest, this was basic marketing 101. (I’d write an article about this but i’ll be damned if I do it for free.)

Always could have even created a special campaign bringing this issue to the forefront. To be honest, when you really think about it… How many of us really know that this is an issue for someone who doesn’t identify as a woman even if they are born female? Always could have created a campaign via the power of the internet.We saw what the internet did for Popeye’s during the cold chicken wars. Something as simple as  a round-table discussion made up of some of the giant’s supporters would have spoke volumes on social media.

Always could have even taken it a step farther and created a voting campaign by their sales. Think about it, get the community involved. You create two different packages for the brands pads and tampons. One packaging is a redesigned look of the current packaging with the venus logo branded. The second packaging could be a unisex design with a gender neutral color without the logo.  From there, you inform your audience of the difference between the packaging.

From there, let it be known that the packaging that they choose to purchase is the vote that they cast: Venus logo or no? This is also brilliant from a company standpoint because doing something like this makes people like me, a woman who uses your product, feel more connected to the company. My opinion matters.  The unfortunate thing about this situation that sparked me to write this article is: Always has made it very clear that ME, a natural born woman does not have a voice that the company is willing to hear.

For me personally, this situation has made me look into other alternatives and more natural brands. I am not a believer in cancel culture but after this, I don’t ever have to patronize this brand again.

For those who menstruate: How do you feel about the venus logo being taken off of  Always products?