Tampon Ad Called 'Transphobic' For Implying "Real Women" Have Periods (VIDEO)

TheFrisky.com:

A New Zealand tampon manufacturer is coming under fire for a new commercial that implies trans folks who dress as women are not "real women."

The commercial for Libra tampons shows an ostensibly "real" woman standing next to a trans person in the bathroom, as they both put on their lip gloss and mascara and adjust their boobs in their tight party dress. Then the "real" woman pulls a tampon out of her purse. The drag queen makes a "hmmph!" face and walks away.

Read the whole story: TheFrisky.com

Comments

[SteveDenver]

05:27 PM on 01/20/2012

"Real women" have periods? That should come as a surprise to a lot of women who are post-menopausal.

[KriTiKiT]

09:13 AM on 01/07/2012

Periods are no fun. I'm Jealous trans' folks don't have one.

[emmeaki]

03:54 PM on 01/06/2012

Are transgendered people really offended by this or is the media just telling people that they SHOULD be offended by the ad? If there are any transgendered people here, I would love to hear what they have to say.

[DanaLane]

05:59 AM on 01/07/2012

The person in the video isn't a transgender woman but is a male-identified drag queen. I am a transsexual woman and the ad was a bit offensive to me but not that big of a deal. I think a better video would have been for the drag queen to over the woman the tampon. That would have been a more positive message and transsexual women carry those in the event someone needs one.

[JonB2057]

08:09 PM on 01/05/2012

"A New Zealand tampon manufacturer is coming under fire for a new commercial that implies trans folks who dress as women are not "real women."

Say what??? Men (and women) who dress up as their "polar opposite" does, never will be that opposite sex/gender! All of the "plastic surgery" in the world does not change you into a member of the opposite sex. You are just "dressing up" for the next "costume ball".

[DrHoo]

10:45 PM on 01/04/2012

Not only are these men not women, they're an insult to women.

Why are women expected to accept every male freak who says so into our sex?

[SteveDenver]

05:28 PM on 01/20/2012

Why does anyone have to accept YOU into anything?

[DrHoo]

06:58 PM on 01/22/2012

I thought you were "progressive and liberal, just like Jesus Christ."

I'd say you're more like an argumentative idiot.

[elsquibbs]

07:57 PM on 01/04/2012

Anybody offended by this ad has an irrational fear of reality.

[Greg Shatto]

07:27 PM on 01/04/2012

Why do trannies look so deeply for reasons to be offended? They do not have periods because they are men who look like women! That is not trans-phobic it is the truth!

[SteveDenver]

05:28 PM on 01/20/2012

bullShatto

[Lex Anton]

03:40 PM on 01/04/2012

I thought it was funny. I know some transgendered people, they would totally get that and think it's funny as well.

[megandvc]

06:52 AM on 01/04/2012

I thought trans gender people had stronger skin than that. ! Anyway, why is this news? They are not born as a woman, and therefore, why are they insulted by this? They should be happy they dont have to endure this monthly P.I.T.A. With all the other obstacles they have, why is this bugging them so much? Im sure someone will sue over this claiming it caused them anxiety.

[beeryan]

06:01 AM on 01/04/2012

Well its true... People just need to relax and realize its not just about their needs ...its about OUT needs for OUR world! Wake up before its to late and no one needs a tampon!

[Adam Dray]

05:20 AM on 01/04/2012

...Does anyone who's satisfied with their gender from birth actually care about this? I mean yeah okay 1 or 2 but I strongly doubt anyone could care less..IT'S A COMMERCIAL!! ABOUT TAMPONS!!! WAAAHHHH What are they gonna start complaining that they don't have 'manpons' for transgender men?

[Adam Dray]

05:14 AM on 01/04/2012

...um...well trannys AREN'T real women..sooo where's the issue? Jeez do we have to 'cater' to them THAT much? "OH I can't use a tampon' boohoo!! Give me a break I think there's MUCH more important things to worry about in the world than some dude unhappy that he's not 'classified' as a woman, simply cause well lets be honest, he was born a guy..bummer deal with it, get on with it, and stop trying to find excuses to go into the womens bathroom!!

[JonB2057]

08:12 PM on 01/05/2012

"OH I can't use a tampon' boohoo!!"

Actually they can "use" a tampon. It will just be inserted somewhere else.........

[Peter Druart]

04:40 AM on 01/04/2012

What makes this "transphobic" in my eyes is that there was absolutely no reason to make this ad in the first place. I dont find it funny, I dont find it interesting, and I dont find it informative. Without any of those qualities the ad has no purpose other than to jab at trans people.

Thats the conclusion I reached anyway. Its not that im offended by the ad or even have a problem with occasionally making fun of trans people (like I do with jsut about every other group of people).

[StrawHat]

02:56 PM on 01/06/2012

Well, I'm guessing you're not female, you've never been through the rite of passage of going through normal female puberty and getting periods, and that you've never been irked by the over-the-top, sometimes over-bearing claims of "ultimate femininity" perpetrated by some cross-dressing men. I had several cross-dressing buddies in college (three of them lived in the apartment next door to mine when I was a freshman -- we got dolled up and went to the bars together on the weekend.) I have never had a problem with cross-dressing, but when biological males start to claim to be "real women" or even better women than natural-born women? Then I do get a bit irked. Womanhood doesn't come in a hairstyle, a wax job or a tube of lipstick. That's what this ad was affirming in an amusingly competitive way.

I didn't laugh out loud, but I smirked a little and thought it was funny.

It was directed at people like me: natural-born women who are proud of who and what we are. Yes, we do carry protection from Aunt Dot in our purses, and yes, waving a tampon around in the air was a funny way of saying, "Oh, yeah? Where you gonna stick this, mister?"

[Marasbaras]

01:54 AM on 01/04/2012

Is the transexual community the new group of people who are now super-sensitive?

It's just a stupid advertisement, people.

[Tulka2]

01:49 AM on 01/04/2012

I saw the 2012 version today.  A young person with a very close and groomed beard, stacked heels, short shorts, beautiful make-up and a purse walk up out of the subway in NYC.  He/she wasn't interested in fooling anybody.  She/he was just who he/she was and proud of it.  I saw the future.