Starting tonight at 5 p.m., join The Monthly for drinks and conversation at Hank’s Oyster Bar, 633 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. You may be wondering what The Monthly is, and why you would want to show up to a bar with a box of tampons or maxi-pads, and the answer is very simple: We need to talk about periods.
The Monthly, part of the DC Diaper Bank, focuses its efforts on raising awareness and collecting period products for women in need. (Full disclosure: I am an ambassador for the DC Diaper Bank)
We live in a world where congressmen think that they don’t need maternity care because their personal lack of a uterus means that babies, menstruation and birth control all fall outside their purview. These things should not be discussed, let alone be covered by any kind of subsidy. If you think this is just the kind of divisive politics that coats our regular discourse, consider this: Here in Washington, D.C., products such as tampons and pads are taxed as LUXURY items. I had no idea that 5-7 days of cramps and discomfort were considered a luxury. THERE IS NOTHING LUXURIOUS ABOUT PERIODS.
This fact takes on a stark meaning when you think of women in difficult financial conditions. They have to pay top dollar for a monthly occurrence that is somehow still wrapped in stigma and shame. You can read more about The Monthly’s mission by clicking here, and you can learn more about just how stigmatizing even talking about periods can be– so much, that Instagram removed photographer Rupi Kaur’s photographs documenting periods. The photos are beautiful and resonate with anyone who’s ever had to deal with that crap. Yet, somehow, period blood crosses the line of decency. Kaur challenged Instagram’s ban, and she won.
Back to The Monthly: Come to Hank’s Oyster Bar starting at 5 p.m. and bring a sanitary product donation! Share a drink, raise awareness, and make a uterused-American’s life easier for a little bit. The details below:
WHAT: The Monthly Meet!
WHERE: Hank’s Oyster Bar, 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
WHEN: 5-7 p.m.
WHY: Because, once again, THERE IS NOTHING LUXURIOUS ABOUT PERIODS. And hey, grabbing a drink and collecting donations sounds like my kind of happy hour– maybe yours too?