my period
was after
that dirty
from some
e with me
m broke.”
For example, I thoroughly enjoyed one man’s
comparison of toilet paper to tampons and pads.
Yes, exactly. If women shouldn’t be taxed on
feminine hygiene products then you, sir, should
not pay tax on your toilet paper! It’s exactly
the same thing! One could wipe one’s butt with
leaves! You’re right, we don’t NEED toilet paper.
I don’t NEED a pad, I could put some leaves in
my bloomers. No biggie. There’s just one thing.
All humans need (or don’t need) toilet paper. But
only women would have to put Eastern White
Pine leaves in their underwear. And therein lies
the problem.
(Side note: I’d like to mention that the toilet
paper rebuttal was popular in the comments
sections, but toenail clippers and antiperspirants
also got shout-outs as non-luxury necessities.
That’s good stuff, comments section. The tax on
nail clippers is a cause close to my heart. The
average person buys at least two, maybe three,
pairs of toenail clippers in her life? The tax on
toenail clippers is definitely a travesty that needs
a celebrity spokesperson.)
Look, gender product pricing exists.
See razors, clothing (both adult and
children’s!) and—barf—this pen:
But I can circumnavigate that and
buy the men’s razor (for almost $2
less), and luckily I can just go ahead
and buy a unisex pen. What I can’t do
is buy a man’s tampon.
According to the Associated Press,
the Utah lawmakers’ defense was that they
want to make the tax system predictable, calling
Duckworth’s proposal a “subjective variation”
on what could be taxed. How very predictable:
a room full of men deciding that my period
and the act of keeping menstruation hygienic
is subjective. Comedy is subjective. Beauty
is subjective. Whether or not I bleed all over
myself, the chair, my train seat, or my work
station is not. Is that too gross? Well, so is this
Utah legislature decision.
Amy Claire was raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana but has stomped around Los Angeles for over
20 years. She has a strong background in improv, sketch comedy, stand-up and a degree in
theatre. She has opened for the likes of Josh Wolf and Dana Carvey. Her husband Logan is her
hero. (He built her a poop-shoot that goes straight from the nursery to a trash can outside. No
joke!) and the love of her life, Stanton, is 6 months old (he’s obviously REALLY smart).