WWTPD

I would not engage.  But that is my go to for many things.  I also work in healthcare and we got an e-mail informing us of counseling available for people dealing with anxiety from the election and/or out come.  It also reminded us that nothing has changed with our health network wide policies regarding equity, diversity, and conversation and actions that are not appropriate for a workplace and most importantly that people need to stand up to and/or report things when we see this.  That it is all of our responsibilities.  We even have an unit on it for annual mandatories/tests.

Truthfully I was a bit nervous myself, as I have a few coworkers who I know are Trump supporters but overall who I really like and we talk about a lot of things while doing our shift change overs (so it is really only like up to 30 minutes a day) especially after 20+ years. But happily no one has mentioned it yet.  I am more aligned with the person I work with on my shift so that is fine. And then I only work with them 3 days a week and alone 2 days a week.

As far as what would I do…I don’t know but I fear not the correct thing.  I would try an change the subject but I know that is not correct and actually stepping up and saying that it  is not appropriate to have this conversation here would be correct.  So hard for those of us that are really non confrontational but want to do the right thing. Sorry you have to deal with it.  I will say that it is one of the best parts of my job is the limited exposures I have to people (back room IT/Operations person).  And even when required on site I work a shift when there are very very few people onsite in any place I would have to be.

I would go to Costco and buy several large boxes of tampons. I'd put a handful in a nice decorative basket in both the men's and ladies' rooms and refill as necessary. And I'd enjoy watching that woman seethe about them the whole time.

Perhaps I still have some midwestern passive-aggressive in me.

No source references, but admin at my son’s HS stated the tampons stayed all of 30 minutes before boys destroyed dispensers. Northern MN.

IMO, these situations are going to increase because these people feel emboldened right now. People will need to figure out some short phrases to respond with, so they don’t freeze when taken off guard, while still indicating that’s not cool.

It’s my understanding that girl’s/women’s sports teams regularly use the opposite gender’s locker rooms for away games so it would absolutely make sense to have feminine hygiene products in there for them to use when they are utilizing those facilities. Now if you’re talking about regular restrooms in a school, I believe those decisions are made at the school or district level. It was only mandated that the schools have supplies available, for free. I don’t believe it was mandated where they are placed.

I looked it up. Here is the text for the actual statute, directly from the state’s website. Bold is mine:
I would have said something because those people are ignorant.

So, I dont think I would have gotten into a pissing competition with them at all. Because, really. Nothing you are going to say is going to change their mind. BUT I probably would have just told that it wasn't an appropriate conversation to be having during work when others are around and left it at that.

Smiled with my dumb face on like I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, then gone on with my work.

I agree with don’t engage. That’s the fastest way to make it stop.

I hope the boys who destroyed the dispensers were prosecuted/ fined for destruction of property.

And seriously, if they’re so precious they can’t handle being near an unused tampon at least tell them to stop throwing them away, they’re expensive! They’re literally throwing their tax dollars away

It's sick for young men to find women's menstrual products disgusting and don't want them in their restrooms or locker rooms, say a bunch of women. And the governor.

This is a democracy, so I've been told. Why not let the boys vote on whether or not they feel these are appropriate items in their private spaces.


I never got a tampon from a dispenser in a woman's bathroom. The least a biological female in a men's room can do is provide her own and let the boys be boys without having to accommodate.

Shoving this in men's faces is about the ultimate assertion of privilege I can think of.

And if those men's locker rooms are used by women's teams from other schools when they are there for a game/competition? What’s so disgusting about that? 

It would be one thing if the locker rooms were only used by one gender, but in many cases the schools only have two so the visiting teams use the home team’s other locker room making it a shared space. Visiting boy’s teams will use the home team’s girl’s locker room and vice versa. They are not private spaces. They are guests using the home team’s available facilities. So I suppose the boys shouldn’t have to see hygiene products in the girl’s locker room either when they are the visiting team? 🙄

I never got products from a dispenser either in school, mainly because my school didn’t even have them. My school didn’t have ANYTHING. There were times I wished they did. If you were unlucky enough to not be regular and it started unexpectedly or was heavier than usual, you had to pray that a friend had something on hand they could give you to get you by. Personally I’m glad that my kid has it a little better now than I did back in the day.

I have no idea why people are so triggered by tampons. Menstruation is something that happens to women. I don't understand why people are ashamed of women's bodies. Because if you think menstruation is disgusting, you are telling me that you think women's bodies are disgusting.

I don't know. My nephews grew up with tampons sitting right on the counter. None of them seem traumatized.