Tim Walz, the newly selected vice president candidate for the Democrats, signed a law in 2023 as Minnesota governor that required menstrual products to be available in the state’s schools. 

The law features broadly inclusive language and states that products like pads, tampons, and other products used for menstruation “must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12.” 

Republican state lawmakers in Minnesota had tried — and failed — to amend that bill so that it would apply only to “female restrooms,” though some Republicans went on to vote for the final version of the bill. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said in an interview on Aug. 6 on Fox News that the law, among other policies seen as supportive of transgender rights, was “a threat to women’s health,” according to The New York Times.

Walz made significant efforts to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Minnesota as governor, and he was an early supporter of gay rights going as far back as his time as a high school teacher in the 1990s. Walz signed a bill last year designating Minnesota as a legal refuge for transgender people.

California has made significant strides in addressing public health concerns related to menstrual products and transgender rights in schools. The proposed legislation to improve disclosure requirements for menstrual products is particularly crucial in light of recent studies, such as the one from UC Berkeley, which highlighted the presence of toxic chemicals in certain tampons. By focusing on ingredient transparency, California is proactively protecting public health, especially for individuals who use these products regularly. This effort reflects a commitment to ensuring menstrual products are safe and free from harmful substances.

California has also been a leader in protecting the rights of transgender students by allowing them to use the bathrooms or locker rooms where they feel most comfortable. This practice has been maintained in districts across the state, even in schools where there are children of members of conservative groups like Moms for Liberty. 

For example, the San Diego Unified School District, which has 23 schools on a conservative list, continues to uphold these rights without backlash, demonstrating a firm stance on inclusivity and student safety.

However, despite these advancements, California could implement changes in some areas, making it more akin to Tim Walz’s model. His model however, does not require the Minnesota Department of Education to track plans developed by districts.

The case of Folsom Cordova Unified School District highlights a significant failure in implementing AB 367, the “Menstrual Equity for All Act.” 

The law mandates that schools provide free menstrual products in designated restrooms, but an inspection earlier this year showed that the school’s six bathrooms consistently lacked these supplies. The dispensers were often empty and vandalized, which not only violates the law but also undermines students’ access to essential products. 

Additionally, the required notice posted in the restrooms did not include contact information for the person responsible for maintaining the supply, making it difficult for students to report the issue and hold the school accountable.

To improve, schools like Cordova High in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District need stricter oversight and accountability measures to ensure compliance with AB 367. This could include regular inspections, penalties for non-compliance and more accessible reporting mechanisms for students when supplies are missing. 

Schools should also ensure that the posted notices include clear contact information so that issues can be quickly addressed. Additionally, providing adequate security for dispensers, such as vandal-proof designs, could help prevent damage and ensure continuous availability of products.

State school districts should increase equitable access so students can focus on their education by regularly stocking a variety of quality menstrual products in a range of sizes in restrooms across the campus. 

Make the invisible visible! Destigmatize. Educate about the use of menstrual products: days with heavier menstrual flow require changing menstrual products more often – they are not one size fits all. Also, provide better signage, and include the name and email of a person who is regularly reachable by students. Reduce targeting and stigmatizing by stocking menstrual products in more than one men’s restroom on campus.

California should continue its efforts to improve transparency in the provision of menstrual products, and new legislation should be passed and enforced to protect consumers. The state should also continue to support transgender students’ rights, maintaining its stance on inclusivity even in the face of opposition from conservative groups. 

By balancing progress in both public health and civil rights, California can set an example for other states to follow.

Inclusivity starts with language. It’s important to know how the language we speak is shaped and how it shapes us. 

A lack of information about menstruation leads to damaging misconceptions and discrimination and can cause people to miss out on normal childhood experiences. It might seem awkward right now to say “people who menstruate” or “people with cycles” but this is just like changing other biased language. The term for this is period inclusivity, defined as the recognition that while periods are a biological process, gender isn’t fixed and assigned at birth. 

These phrases might be difficult to replace, but it’s not impossible. Saying alternatives are more accurate than saying “women” and using a non-gendered term also helps to make vital health information available to everyone who needs it – whatever their gender.

If your elementary school health lesson on periods was anything like mine, you will vividly remember the subject of menstruation coming up. Boys are asked to leave the room, everyone erupts in a blanket of hushed giggles and an exclusively female audience endures incomplete and noninclusive information. To put it simply, it is a bad experience.

As a menstruating person, I have, for the most part, come to terms with my period, femininity and philosophy on menstruation; but those who were never given a well-rounded view of comprehensive and scientifically accurate information will mature into adults who practice exclusive ideals about periods.

Like many other menstruating people, I have experienced the utter horror of starting my period sans a pad or a tampon. You are simply existing, when all of a sudden a literal wave of uterus lining is shed into your underwear. Not simply staining your pants, but the white chair that you so conveniently happen to be sitting on. 

You rush to the nearest restroom in an attempt to cover up the crime your body just committed, but upon arrival, you find that no menstrual products are in sight. You feel awkward about asking someone else for a tampon, but you are not expecting “Aunt Flo” for another couple of days. You proceed to stiffly exit the restroom and shuffle into hiding where any ambitions are forgotten, all because of an uncontrollable bodily function.

Providing students with the appropriate products helps to continue to provide them with educational educational opportunities.  The bill Tim Walz signed in Minnesota simply aims to provide a better environment where everyone can coexist and feel safe and comfortable. It’s not that big of a deal. The words may change but the purpose doesn’t.

Scotland became the first country to make period products freely available to anyone who needs them, regardless of gender. The legislation uses inclusive language and establishes a right for anyone who menstruates to be able to access the products that they need when they need them. While specific data on the outcomes is still being gathered, the law is seen as a model for promoting menstrual equity.

Our bodies do not determine our identities, and we are so much more than mere bodies. All of us need to have a context for our experiences and a way of talking about them. We can all be part of changing the dialogue about menstruation, and, by extension, health. 

People of all genders have periods, and barrier-free access to support and information benefits us all. School administrators don’t expect students to bring their own toilet paper to use the restroom, so why do they expect those menstruating to bring their own feminine products?