Despite the fact that women have been having periods for a very, very, very long time, they still hold taboo status around the world and can make many people feel uncomfortable at the mere mention of a bleeding uterus. Yes, it doesn't seem to matter that periods are needed to make babies, to create life - they still have the ability to cause a "bleurgh!" to fall out the mouths of many.
But there's one Instagram account determined to make users see the beautiful side of our monthly bleeds. Tampons in Beautiful Places aims to make "resistance & intersectional feminism as welcoming as a plush new tampon." The account pretty much does what it says on the tin: takes the little white cotton blockers and places them in gorgeous scenery, from lying on glistening white snow to perched on the top of a foggy mountain. Each post is often accompanied by a few lines of poetry from relevant female and feminist poets.
"Tampons are tiny artefacts with startling weight," creator Rose Lambert-Sluder tells the Metro. "They’re banned from tables. They change hands covertly. They’re objects of disgust and shame, tools many men act uneasy around, and inserted into a place that receives both spectacular hatred and love. That’s quite a burden for the little buddies, and I wanted to unburden them a bit from that weight."
Rose, a writer from Portland, Oregon, said that she started the account as a reaction to the US election. "Crisis drives us to strange impulses," she said. "After the election, I felt sick, and people I loved felt sick. It was a collective heartbreak. I had to respond to pain with something totally unlike pain. Something light and playful, but with space for serious ideas – I think that’s what prompted me to start #tamponsinbeautifulplaces."
Tampons in Beautiful Places also stresses in its bio that the account is for all genders and men are welcome. So if you want to see a positive change in attitudes towards periods as well as reading some affecting poetry and some gorgeous scenery, then you're all welcome with open arms. What more could you want from Instagram?
Are you a fan of Tampons in Beautiful Places? Let us know! @sofeminineUK
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