Tampon Tim

It is possible (even likely) that you have not heard the term - Tampon Tim.  I only heard the term last week when conservative (right wing) media starting calling Tim Walz by the nickname Tampon Tim.

Red Fabrics 

According to the NPR article,  "The moniker refers to a law that Walz, the governor of Minnesota, signed last year, requiring public schools to provide menstrual products — including pads and tampons — to students in 4th through 12th grades. The products are free for students, with the state paying about $2 per pupil to keep them stocked throughout the school year.

The law, which was the result of years of advocacy by students and their allies, took effect on January 1, 2024, though students say the rollout has so far been smoother in some school districts than others.

It makes Minnesota one of 28 states (and Washington D.C.) that have passed laws aimed at giving students access to menstrual products in schools, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies. The issue enjoys broad popular support: 30 states have eliminated state sales tax on menstrual products, and Trump himself signed a 2018 package that requires federal prisons to provide them."

Value Variation

Here is the link to the actual policy document if you wish to read it. I did. Unlike the misinformation/disinformation being doled out by the bucketful, it says nothing about "tampons in boys bathroom". The law leaves it up to the schools to decide how best to meet the needs of their students.

I was disgusted by the right wing media but not surprised.

Applique Letters

I was 11 years old when my friend got her period. She told me about it including the pain in her belly and lower back. She also showed me what a sanitary napkin looked like. Why can't you just go to the toilet and pee it out, I had wondered. Since it hadn't happened to me, I could not realize the involuntary nature of the flow.

Few months later, there was a "huge incident" in our all girls convent school. Some girl came running out of the bathroom, screaming, "there is a ghost in the bathroom." Someone had discarded a bloody sanitary napkin and there were bloodstains on the bathroom wall. Ten and 11-year olds in the pre-computer era were panic-stricken.

Next week, Sister Principal came to our classroom and gave us the Puberty Talk. Not a lot of biology but enough that we knew what to expect and not panic when it did.

Next year when I got my period, I quietly went to my mom and asked for a sanitary pad. 

How many of us have found ourselves in the absolute horrific situation when the period came early or caught us unawares two days after we thought we were done? 

I remember staining my white skirt (I was in the 13) and tying my sweater around my waist to hide it. 

When I came to the US and saw the vending machines in our college campus bathrooms, where you had to insert a quarter to get a sanitary pad/tampon, it blew me away. So simple and so useful.

Work in Progress

It is natural to bleed. Half the world does. So why the taboo? Why the shame? 

Because it makes men in patriarchal societies uncomfortable. Because it isn't about making women/girls comfortable. It is about preventing any discomfort to men.

So when Tim Walz ensures that girls (and transgender boys) have access to hygiene products, I am overcome with gratitude. Thank you, Coach. You got my vote!

Looking good

The idea for the quilt came last week. I was listening to this episode of Pod Save America, when Melissa Murray mentioned the Menstrual Equity Bill (26:40 - 26:52). She added that if she were Tim Walz, she would wear a t-shirt saying "I am Tampon Tim and I am here to stop the red wave."

That is when I had to drop everything and make this quilt. 

Completed Quilt, 26" by 29"

Here are a few more pictures.

Walking Foot Quilting

Labelled

Red Fabrics with Value Gradation

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. Should you wish to share your experiences or express solidarity with the girls/women who benefit from menstrual equity, you are welcome. I will delete negative comments.