Happy Pride! Why periods aren't just a "women's issue"

Happy PRIDE month from Sunny!

No matter how you identify, we hope you have an amazing June celebrating being who you are!

Written by Natalie Bronfine 

We are so excited to be highlighting the connection between menstruating and the fight for equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We want to highlight that not all people who have periods identify as a woman or as female. Not all women menstruate and not all menstruators are women! Referring to people who have periods only as women and even using terms like “feminine hygiene” excludes trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex people who also bleed! One way we can all be more inclusive in the conversation around periods is supporting trans and non-binary period activisits, and learn about their stories, such as that of Sawyer DeVuyst, a trans model who appeared in a period campgain video. Some stores, such as Boots in the U.K. have even taken the step of renaming their period product aisles to no longer use the term “feminine hygiene,” but there are many steps that we can all still take! Let’s broaden the discussion about periods and period care to include everyone who menstruates! We encourage you to watch your own verbiage as it relates to periods, and encourage your friends & community to do the same. 

Hear from our co-founder, Drew Jarvis (she/her/hers) about what Pride and being a queer co-founder means to her! 

“I’ve been looking forward to this pride month more than any other year. It’s taken me a while to explore and better understand my identity. And as I’ve become more comfortable with my sexuality, Pride month has become that much more special to me. At the same time, I know how challenging it is to not feel fully certain or comfortable with your identity or to want to reject labels altogether. Both of which are totally okay!! Pride is for all of us!

As a small business owner, I feel extra responsible for using whatever platform I have to continue to be an activist for the queer community. It’s important to be equally celebratory yet active in conversations and actions that progress LGBTQ+ rights forward. Sunny focuses on a topic (periods) that historically discusses sex, gender, and biology. But periods are NOT just a women’s issue (we see you trans, enby, and gender non-comforming folks). Conversations about periods can be uncomfortable for anyone, but especially for those who are just learning about their bodies, have changing bodies, or who don’t identify with the outdated explanations of periods. We see you and we’re here to be a safe and open space for anyone who’s as excited to talk about periods as we are.”

How are you celebrating Pride this year? Follow us @sunnyperiod on social media and follow us along on our celebrations all month long!

-Written by Natalie Bronfine