# Uhh..Ladies, what do you think of "free bleeding"?



## Marcus588 (May 4, 2014)

Someone mentioned this on another forum I visit. There is a movement of a (I hope to god) small number of women, mostly radical feminists that subscribe to a belief of what is known as "free bleeding" where, as it sounds where women refuse to use any feminine hygiene products (ie pads/tampons etc) during their period. I googled it and unfortunately some pics came up I did not want to see, but I did find a site that talks about it (don't worry no pics)

Letting ourselves bleed

Apparently it's to help "empower" women by trying to make menstruating as natural as possible with no shame. 

Sooo ladies...Have you ever heard of, or ever even participated? What do you think?


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## nirvana (Jul 2, 2012)

Ewwww

Some ladies have a lot of time on their hands that they invent issues to be all raged up about


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## LonelyinLove (Jul 11, 2013)

I have heard of it...totally gross.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

I had not heard about this until your post. 

I find it disturbing. We know now that blood can carry all kinds of diseases. Do they carry around disinfectant wipes to clean up after themselves?


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

Uhhh...

I'd think that, if nothing else, this would wind up being incredibly expensive. I mean... how many times could undergarments and/or clothing be stained w/ blood before they'd have to be thrown out?


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## Thundarr (Jul 4, 2012)

Marcus588 said:


> Apparently it's to help "empower" women by trying to make menstruating as natural as possible with no shame.


Yes menstruation is a natural process but let's get logical here. Bleeding when we're cut is also natural yet we understand blood born pathogens are passed by (you guessed it) blood. So I hope all women and especially all young girls understand what's happening is natural and they are proud of it. I also hope they understand it's not safe to not contain in public at least. At home it's a great idea for those who like it but not out and about.


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## Lionelhutz (Feb 2, 2012)

Sooooo painfully stupid. 

Death and disease are also perfectly natural as are all bathroom functions.


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## lucy999 (Sep 28, 2014)

Never heard of it. I clicked on the photos. Dunno they seem kind of fetishy to me. 

But not for me, thanks.


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## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

Never heard of it but think these women are beyond stupid!

I get the push to remove all traces of shame from menstruating and I applaud that idea. I applaud the idea that women should not hide the fact that they are bleeding. But this takes a good idea into the realm of ...beyon the stupid.


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## AliceA (Jul 29, 2010)

Personally, I don't ask people how they wipe their butts on the toilet, I don't ask women how they deal with their periods and I don't go into the men's social forum and ask how they deal with their bodily fluids.


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## batsociety (Jan 23, 2015)

I actually had a conversation about this with my daughter a few weeks ago when we were grocery shopping. She was talking about how expensive sanitary products are and how she was going to stage a free bleeding protest because menstruation makes people so uncomfortable that they'd do anything to get the protestors to stop. I said I was cool with it as long as she does her own laundry and doesn't sit on our furniture.

But as a celebration of femininity or apparently some weird blood meditation game like in the OP's link, I don't know. I'm all for removing the stigma surrounding periods but this isn't a great way to do it.


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## ExiledBayStater (Feb 16, 2013)

I've never seen a woman bleeding through her clothes in public or seen unexplained blood on the ground. I have to believe it's just a few crazies doing this.


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## Julius Beastcavern (May 11, 2015)

The free bleeding movement was made up by 4chan to wind up feminists


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## Kitt (Jun 3, 2015)

Why do you give a flying flip? Live and let live. Like you would if a man didn't wear deodorant? I don't try to control him. Why do you care? Chill dude! This has nothing to do with feminism, and if you think it does...educate yourself! Read a book. &#55357;&#56881;


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

I just hope no one starts a free crapper movement.


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

I work from home full time, so I have thought of planting myself on the pot with my laptop during my worst days to save some money, but in public? No thanks!


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## Blossom Leigh (Mar 27, 2014)

Never have, never will.

Some people need to quit making everything an issue. 

That is beyond disgusting.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Kitt (Jun 3, 2015)

It won't become anything...this is just another three people in some state want to make this a thing thing...most of us find this odd....and unhygienic.


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## *LittleDeer* (Apr 19, 2012)

I think the article was a reflection of one woman's ideas about letting herself do this in her own home in old clothes on old sheets etc. 

Not something I'd ever do. Not a reflection of feminists. Just a bit of a weird cooky idea. There are lots of weirdos from all sexes and all walks of life out there.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

I would never do this, ugh. I suppose it might work for women who have very light flows, but my house would look like a freaking murder scene at the end of the week. No thank you. (Either that, or my butt would be permanently stuck to the toilet seat because I hadn't left my bathroom in a week.)

Feminine hygiene products are not a shackle of patriarchy. They give me the freedom to have a normal life 100% of the time, not just the 75% of the time when I'm not menstruating. I DO need to take care of my menses to be a productive member of society, and I don't see that as a bad thing. (The author of the blog post cited by the OP clearly thinks this is a bad thing.)

Can you imagine? Being cooped up at home, or sequestered (as in the Red Tent), for 25% of my life, simply because I'm menstruating? Because I can't go around doing my job if I'm leaving a trail of blood everywhere. I mean, I would never have enough sick days to cover the time away from work!

I think the idea is ludicrous. I enjoy being a productive, engaged member of society. And so, feminine hygiene products, I thank you for your service and for making that possible.


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## Blossom Leigh (Mar 27, 2014)

FeministInPink said:


> I would never do this, ugh. I suppose it might work for women who have very light flows, but my house would look like a freaking murder scene at the end of the week. No thank you. (Either that, or my butt would be permanently stuck to the toilet seat because I hadn't left my bathroom in a week.)
> 
> Feminine hygiene products are not a shackle of patriarchy. They give me the freedom to have a normal life 100% of the time, not just the 75% of the time when I'm not menstruating. I DO need to take care of my menses to be a productive member of society, and I don't see that as a bad thing. (The author of the blog post cited by the OP clearly thinks this is a bad thing.)
> 
> ...


Exactly.


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## staarz21 (Feb 6, 2013)

It's disgusting. I've never been ashamed of my period. I am a woman, I am have one every single month. I don't see the need in bleeding everywhere to prove a point. That's just nasty.


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## lucy999 (Sep 28, 2014)

staarz21 said:


> I've never been ashamed of my period.


Same here. And TBH, I hadn't even thought of women being ashamed of their periods, but apparently, some are.


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## CantePe (Oct 5, 2011)

I use meluna cup or diva cup. That's as close as I get other than reusable pads.


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## NextTimeAround (Dec 15, 2011)

Funny, I just read an article about some 3rd world country in which the majority of high school age girls miss at least one week of school a month because they don't the sanitary goods to be able to leave the house.

These feminists should dedicate their energy to that cause.


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## Marcus588 (May 4, 2014)

Well, at least you ladies understand how gross this is despite everything they claim to help with women. They even have a FB group: https://www.facebook.com/FreeBleeding

Their about section says:


> Stop raping yourself with male inventions like tampons. We need not hide our menstruation so as to not offend society with our femininity! BLEED FREE!


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## TiggyBlue (Jul 29, 2012)

um........I think I'll stick to my moon cup.


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## Elizabeth001 (May 18, 2015)

I heart my diva cup very much. Wish I had found it years ago. Seems like it would be a compromise in this situation.


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

FeministInPink said:


> I would never do this, ugh. I suppose it might work for women who have very light flows, but my house would look like a freaking murder scene at the end of the week. No thank you. (Either that, or my butt would be permanently stuck to the toilet seat because I hadn't left my bathroom in a week.)
> 
> Feminine hygiene products are not a shackle of patriarchy. They give me the freedom to have a normal life 100% of the time, not just the 75% of the time when I'm not menstruating. I DO need to take care of my menses to be a productive member of society, and I don't see that as a bad thing. (The author of the blog post cited by the OP clearly thinks this is a bad thing.)
> 
> ...


Haha! Post of the day, right here.

This thread reminded me of The Red Tent, too, although that was so much more about female bonding and not at all about any kind of "shackle of patriarchy" as you aptly said.

Even though on my heaviest days I still can't make plans that keep me away from a bathroom for more than an hour (this affects my life negatively with never being able to sign up to supervise certain types of field trips, schedule certain vacations/trips/outings, etc.), I still am thankful I live in 2015 and not 1920! 

I've never felt like Tampax was raping me.

Side note: A few years ago, at my last GYN visit (shame), my dr. gave me some pills to try that really lessen your flow, while I tried to decide whether or not to get an IUD (still deciding). I forget what they are called, but she said they've been used in Europe for a long time but not in the USA. The next month I used them because I was on my heaviest day on a day I was going to be in a harness/suspended in the air for 3.5 hours (treetop ziplining tour). They worked VERY well. However, the trade-off was really bad stomach pain for a few days even after stopping the pills. NOT worth it.


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## EnigmaGirl (Feb 7, 2015)

Why does everything stupid get blamed on feminism?

I'm a feminist. 

I don't sit around in my own menstrual blood, anymore than I would sit around in my own urine (also a natural process). I also didn't eat the placenta after my kids were born, I didn't flip out my boobs in public to nurse my kids, I don't worship the moon goddess, I don't say HERstory instead of history, I don't write poetry about my vagina, I don't have abortions every day of the week as a method for birth control and I have never danced naked around a campfire (although it does sound kind of fun).

Feminism simply means that I believe that I should enjoy the same rights to fair treatment and equal pay that my male counterparts do. It doesn't mean that I engage in radical or foolish behavior.

The worst thing that I do is take off my bra when I get home and throw it over a banister and tell everyone in the house that I'm home and I just "Freed the Hostages." If men wore underwire bras all day at work, they'd understand this behavior though.

Lets not blame everything weird women do on feminism.


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

EnigmaGirl said:


> The worst thing that I do is take off my bra when I get home and throw it over a banister and tell everyone in the house that I'm home and I just "Freed the Hostages."


:rofl:


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

SecondTime'Round said:


> Haha! Post of the day, right here.
> 
> This thread reminded me of The Red Tent, too, although that was so much more about female bonding and not at all about any kind of "shackle of patriarchy" as you aptly said.
> 
> ...


Ha ha, thanks!

In mentioning _The Red Tent_, It was the most accessible cultural reference I could come up with off the top of my head that shows an example of the sequestration of women based on their menses, though it does exist in other forms, either culturally or at a socio-economic constraint (thinking specifically of NextTimeAround's comment about poor girls in the 3rd world who cannot afford feminine hygiene products). While _The Red Tent_ isn't itself about patriarchy (it's one of my favorite books, I've read it several times), the cultural act of sequestration may be. I say may because I'm not familiar enough with the history of the practice to say one way or another.
@NextTimeAround--I work for a graduate school of international affairs, and our most popular area of study is international development. I do a lot of travel recruiting students at colleges around the country, and last year I met a very enterprising young woman who had started running tampons donation drives on campus to sent products to young women like you mentioned. The idea is that women always have a couple spares in their bag at any time, and while purchasing whole boxes to donate might strain a student's budget, donating the 2-3 in her bag on the spur pf the moment would be manageable. Her intention is to expand this beyond her own campus to other schools around the country and to raise awareness on this very issue. The idea is that women always have a couple spares in their bag at any time, and while purchasing whole boxes to donate might strain a student's budget, donating the 2-3 in her bag on the spur pf the moment would be manageable. I promptly dumped out my purse and gave her every tampon I had!


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## Ceegee (Sep 9, 2012)

This all sounds like an angle to get a week off of work every month.


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## NextTimeAround (Dec 15, 2011)

FeministInPink said:


> Ha ha, thanks!
> 
> @NextTimeAround--I work for a graduate school of international affairs, and our most popular area of study is international development. I do a lot of travel recruiting students at colleges around the country, and last year I met a very enterprising young woman who had started running tampons donation drives on campus to sent products to young women like you mentioned. The idea is that women always have a couple spares in their bag at any time, and while purchasing whole boxes to donate might strain a student's budget, donating the 2-3 in her bag on the spur pf the moment would be manageable. Her intention is to expand this beyond her own campus to other schools around the country and to raise awareness on this very issue. The idea is that women always have a couple spares in their bag at any time, and while purchasing whole boxes to donate might strain a student's budget, donating the 2-3 in her bag on the spur pf the moment would be manageable. I promptly dumped out my purse and gave her every tampon I had!



I hope that's effective. Back when I needed such items, a tampon left in my purse for too long would eventually lose the packaging. ergo, it would lose its hygeinic ness as well.


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## bkaydezz (Jul 9, 2012)

Oh hello no!! 
This isnt for me! I can tell you as someone who has bled for 7 months strait that i would never leave the bathroom if i had to free bleed. Totally gross enough as it is having a vagina that expells that crap in the first place. 
Blehhhh


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## Degausser182 (Jun 17, 2014)

I sometimes engage in it if I am having a light flow and don't want to deal with pads/tampons etc. Even if I wear a skirt and just regular ol' panties and sit down somewhere nothing leaks.


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## UMP (Dec 23, 2014)

The only time I think it would be a good idea is when you're called in for jury duty.
"Bailiff, blood in isle three"


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## DayOne (Sep 19, 2014)

Is THAT what they mean by padding the jury!?!?

I never knew!...


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## weightlifter (Dec 14, 2012)

freeing hostages... lol

men! stop women from dictating toilet seat movement. free the seat! leave it up!

#runs


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## Cinnamon153 (Jun 18, 2015)

Why would you want to ruin perfectly good clothing just for the sake of promoting feminism? I mean, I have a vagina and I would like to be in control of what happens to it, so, by some peoples definition, that makes me a feminist. 
But, I also like to be hygienic and walk around the world without leaking. If you're so against tampons and pads, try a menstrual cup. 
Geez.


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## SimplyAmorous (Nov 25, 2009)

Never heard of it.. it's one of those things that's so utterly ridiculous.. it's not even worth a read or to comment on....but a flippant "I can't believe how crazy some people are !"...I like my pads thank you !


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

LOL WTF?!!!



Thound said:


> I just hope no one starts a free crapper movement.


:rofl:


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## maritalloneliness (Mar 18, 2015)

Some women have too much time on their hands. I don't see how going around free bleeding is going to foster feminism. In third world countries, women are forced to use old rags where they have to re wash to keep clean because they have no choice. How they would probably love to be able to go to the local stores to buy clean hygienic products that would alleviate odor and accidents. Now in developed countries wants to try this as a novelty. How stupid!


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## WorkingWife (May 15, 2015)

Marcus588 said:


> Someone mentioned this on another forum I visit. There is a movement of a (I hope to god) small number of women, mostly radical feminists that subscribe to a belief of what is known as "free bleeding" where, as it sounds where women refuse to use any feminine hygiene products (ie pads/tampons etc) during their period. I googled it and unfortunately some pics came up I did not want to see, but I did find a site that talks about it (don't worry no pics)
> 
> Letting ourselves bleed
> 
> ...


LOL ...WTF? I am afraid to google that... but it sounds rife with impracticalities... Don't the clothes that they do wear get stained/ruined? Or what, do they walk around naked? In which case, doesn't furniture get stained/ruined? Dried blood running down and caking on their legs? That empowers them? Do they go out in public? Go to work? Or are they so empowered they stop functioning while menstruating? Do they wear their stained clothes when no longer menstruating as a badge of honor?

Seriously - WTF?!


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## WorkingWife (May 15, 2015)

Marcus588 said:


> Well, at least you ladies understand how gross this is despite everything they claim to help with women. They even have a FB group: https://www.facebook.com/FreeBleeding
> 
> Their about section says:
> _Stop raping yourself with male inventions like tampons. We need not hide our menstruation so as to not offend society with our femininity! BLEED FREE!_


This may be inaccurate, but I recall reading that tampons were invented by female nurses during the war who used cotton to stop the flow so they could keep working long shifts helping the wounded.


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## SimplyAmorous (Nov 25, 2009)

It's all a Hoax ... a really mindless one at that...like who would take this seriously!

Is #FreeBleeding a Hoax? UPDATE: Hoax Came From 4chan : The Other McCain

2 of the twitter users were NEW accounts ... that pretty much makes them Trolls... trying to stir things up .. Roaring womyn was one of them ...



















Awe just what we expect in cyber space from those WITH too much time on their hands !.....


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

WorkingWife said:


> This may be inaccurate, but I recall reading that tampons were invented by female nurses during the war who used cotton to stop the flow so they could keep working long shifts helping the wounded.


You've got part of the history. "Tampons" in various forms have been used for millenia. There is evidence that ancient Egyptian woman used tampons made of rolled papyrus, Romans used wool, and in some other cultures they used natural materials like moss. The early modern tampon today was invented for military purposes, as you've described above--though I don't know if it was by nurses--in the 1700s. The modern tampon with an applicator was invented/patented in the 1930s.


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## Juicy Fruit (Nov 16, 2014)

Marcus588 said:


> Someone mentioned this on another forum I visit. There is a movement of a (I hope to god) small number of women, mostly radical feminists that subscribe to a belief of what is known as "free bleeding" where, as it sounds where women refuse to use any feminine hygiene products (ie pads/tampons etc) during their period. I googled it and unfortunately some pics came up I did not want to see, but I did find a site that talks about it (don't worry no pics)
> 
> Letting ourselves bleed
> 
> ...




*barf*


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

So it's a hoax? Great, now I feel like an idiot for telling folks about it


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

Apparently, it is a hoax... found a number of articles online like this:

http://birdeemag.com/free-bleeding-thing/


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

I know this thread has been quiet for about two months, but I just came across this and wanted to share: 

Kiran Gandhi, Drummer For M.I.A, Runs London Marathon Without Tampon To De-Stigmatise Periods

Running A Marathon Without A Tampon Has F*** All To Do With Period Taboos*|*Poorna Bell


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## ToothFairy (May 19, 2013)

So is male ejaculation - a natural thing.. but I don't want to see dried or wet white stains all over the place in public. Does this mean I am "ejaculation shaming"?! Please... why do some women have to be so ridiculous?


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## OnTheFly (Mar 12, 2015)

Silly wimmenz!


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## Fozzy (Jul 20, 2013)

_Gandhi added: "I ran with blood dripping down my legs for sisters who don’t have access to tampons and sisters who, despite cramping and pain, hide it away and pretend like it doesn’t exist._


Buy your sisters a box of tampons.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Fozzy said:


> _Gandhi added: "I ran with blood dripping down my legs for sisters who don’t have access to tampons and sisters who, despite cramping and pain, hide it away and pretend like it doesn’t exist._
> 
> 
> Buy your sisters a box of tampons.


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## brooklynAnn (Jun 29, 2015)

My D and I are having this convo. What the heck? I don't want to see other peoples blood and stuff.

I understand that having your period is nothing to be ashamed of. Its just a natural process of how our fertility cycle works. Males, fathers, brothers and husband need to be more compassionate and understanding instead of shaming us. 

The whole cultural thing whether in here in the US or India about it being unclean or dirty just needs to be revised. The bodies natural process is not unclean. 

What is unclean is walking around with blood all over yourself and not cleaning and washing yourself. All this talk about free bleeding makes me queasy. yikes.


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## carpenoctem (Jul 4, 2012)

As a man,* I demand the right to Free Coming – condoms are an imposition by an STD-phobic society.
*
*I am lactose-intolerant, and I will be practicing Free Flatus * when required. Please excuse the inconvenience.

*As a chronic diabetic, I demand the right to Free Peeing – *incontinence is a natural phenomenon. If I dribble on public spaces, please put up with it. Adult Diapers are an imposition by a urophobic society.

*Free Blowing too is on my mind* (reference is to blowing my nose in public, you pervs).

And did I mention that I have uncontrollable IBS? I might demand Free That Too.



(Did not read all the posts. So if there is any redundancy, I apologize, *even though I have the right to Free Yapping*).


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## lucy999 (Sep 28, 2014)

FeministInPink said:


> I know this thread has been quiet for about two months, but I just came across this and wanted to share:
> 
> Kiran Gandhi, Drummer For M.I.A, Runs London Marathon Without Tampon To De-Stigmatise Periods
> 
> Running A Marathon Without A Tampon Has F*** All To Do With Period Taboos*|*Poorna Bell


I saw this woman in People online yesterday. When I saw the pics, I almost dry heaved. 

Someone in the comment section of the article had an excellent point. If she's doing this to raise awareness of the stigma and shame of menstruation and how third-world countries don't have access to hygiene products, where's the info to donate or help?


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## mslyn (Aug 14, 2015)

I think it's disgusting. I don't think that being on your period makes you unclean. Our period also is not shameful. But letting the blood just flow is not acceptable. There are many deadly bloodborne pathogens. If women are on their periods, free bleeding, blood will get on furniture that they sit on, or drip down their leg. Bodily fluids are not something that should just be flowing everywhere. If our nose runs, we don't just let it drip on our chair, nor do we wipe it on our sleeves (as toddlers do). If we cut ourselves, we don't just let blood drip onto the floor or furniture. Feminism does not equal stupidity. We can educate people about the fact that menstruation is not shameful while still keeping up our standard of not letting any bodily fluids just drip on everything.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

mslyn said:


> I think it's disgusting. I don't think that being on your period makes you unclean. Our period also is not shameful. But letting the blood just flow is not acceptable. There are many deadly bloodborne pathogens. If women are on their periods, free bleeding, blood will get on furniture that they sit on, or drip down their leg. Bodily fluids are not something that should just be flowing everywhere. If our nose runs, we don't just let it drip on our chair, nor do we wipe it on our sleeves (as toddlers do). If we cut ourselves, we don't just let blood drip onto the floor or furniture. Feminism does not equal stupidity. We can educate people about the fact that menstruation is not shameful while still keeping up our standard of not letting any bodily fluids just drip on everything.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Very true! It's a public health issue.

You know those quaint, old-timey "No Spitting" signs you see around sometimes? People now think they are funny, but laws prohibiting spitting were put in place to curb the spread of diseases. Something as seemingly innocuous as saliva.

https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/when-the-city-passed-an-anti-spitting-law/


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## Elizabeth001 (May 18, 2015)

I'm having a difficult time believing this is still taken seriously. Seriously.


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## Chelle D (Nov 30, 2011)

I realize it started with this hoax thing... But apparently the marathon runner decided to get publicity by "taking it seriously".

It's all just a bit too dumb for me. I can understand wanting to put up a "fight against tampons" if some women are mis-guided into believing they were invented by males, to portray the male phallus. - But sshhhzzzeessh.. Still contain it!.

To not put at least a pad in, is ludicrous. To go out and have to purchase new underwear once a month?? Stupid stupid stupid.

Or.. do you think they just use their previously stained underwear on those days? (Laundered and "clean" of course)

I hope to God, someday these women realize that their periods will be changing. When they get their first one that is the "OMG, where the H*ll did ALL THAT come from???" period... the Flow from hell period.... they will NOT be abandoning all products. Unless they have previously decided they will camp out and sit on the toilet for days on end.


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