There is a quotation from the grand-daddy of modern progressives, Vladimir Lenin, that speaks to our current, weird social/political moment:
“Probe with bayonets. If you encounter mush, proceed; if you encounter steel, withdraw.”
And now the progressive bayonet is probing into every bathroom in every public school in Oregon. It has already found mush in the legislature of the state of Oregon, which enacted something called—this is no joke—the “Menstrual Dignity Act” in 2021.
Only progressives would put together two words—”Menstrual” and “dignity”—in a kind of Victorian image of girls (more on that in a moment) who are deeply traumatized by something that has been experienced by women since prehistory. Aren’t you glad we finally—here in Oregon—got around to righting this wrong?
And so it might have been something of a shock to parents in the Portland Public Schools “Community” to receive a lengthy, and somewhat abstruse memo a week ago announcing that…
We want to offer an update on Portland Public Schools’ implementation of the Oregon Menstrual Dignity Act, signed into law in 2021 by Gov. Kate Brown. The law requires public schools to offer free menstrual products to all students.
During the 2021-22 year, the district placed free, accessible menstrual products in female and all-gender restrooms located in comprehensive high schools.
Simple enough. But there’s always a kicker in progressiveland:
To ensure timely compliance, PPS ordered 500 dispensers. Dispensers have been installed in all elementary and middle school girls’ restrooms, and more will be installed in all remaining bathrooms, including boys’ restrooms, next year. Instructions for how to use tampons and pads will be posted in all bathrooms.
Instructions in using tampons…for boys.
Huh?
I’m sure you’re ahead of me on this, because this is because of the current epidemic of adolescent gender dysphoria, which is being abetted by the Oregon Department of Education, various creepy medical types, and the usual clutch of sex-loudmouths (who feel it is their duty to let the electorate know what they do with who and how it is done).
Take a spin through The Department of Education’s Handbook about dignified menstruation and you will leave the world of “boys” and “girls” far behind.
It says so right there on page 14:
Recommendations for Gender-Affirming Language
Refer to menstruation without calling in gender in order to be gender-affirming for trans, non-binary, and two spirit students. Emphasize physiology during puberty education more broadly.
Use “menstruating students” instead of “girls.”
Use “menstrual products” instead of “feminine hygiene products”
Explain “someone with a uterus and ovaries may begin to menstruate” instead of “girls may begin to menstruate” during puberty educationUse gender-inclusive “students” “folks” “everyone” “learners” or “they/them” instead of “boys and girls” or “he or she” when referring to students…
And, just to make sure no one misses the point of this exercise…
Avoid talking about menstruation as only a “girl” or “woman” thing. Not all people who menstruate are girls, and not all girls menstruate.
The law purports to be in the name of (if you’re familiar with progspeak, you can fill in the blanks)…
The four pillars of Menstrual Dignity including Privacy, Inclusivity, Access, and Education.
Golly! What happened to “equity?”
Needless to say, this is not the real point of the bayonet in the bathrooms. The Department of Education makes that abundantly clear in their turgid statement of goals…
Integrate trans-specific puberty information in K-12 instruction.
Integrate intersex information and body variation K-12 in anatomy, reproduction, & puberty lessons.
That “gender dysphoria” is firmly entrenched in the Education Department’s mission is clear in their Standards for Human Sexuality Education. First, the throat-clearing…
(b) “Balanced” means instruction that provides information with the understanding of, and strength of the preponderance of evidence…
…but soon we come to the payload…
(g) "Gender expression" means how people express their gender based on mannerisms, dress, etc. A person's gender expression/presentation may not always match their gender identity;
(h) Gender identity" means a person's internal sense of being male, female or some other gender, regardless of whether the individual's appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual's sex assigned at birth;
(i) “Gender role” means the socially determined sets of behaviors assigned to people based on their biological sex;
(j) “Gender sensitive” means using materials and instruction strategies that are sensitive to individual’s similarities and differences regarding gender role, gender identity and/or sexual orientation;
Which seems a trifle complicated for the 12-year-old mind; and also assumes that every parent of a public school child (aka, a “boy” or “grl”) is on board with the above, which puts the power of the state firmly in the back-pocket of radical beliefs that, just a few years ago, would have laughed out of court.
And which many parents think is a load of craziness. But they don’t count, because our loopy legislature has passed a law. That takes yet another parental responsibility, not to mention power, and transfers it to the bureaucrats running the show in Salem.
The Handbook realizes that there will be some misguided parents and kids, but…
Center positive academic outcomes and student stories to explain the need for menstrual dignity in schools.
Collaborate with local culturally and ethnically-specific community-based partners to strengthen outreach and communication with families.
Even PPS hinted that there might be some parental blowback.
We understand that this may be new for some students in some grades. This is why we felt it was especially important that we share the details of this program with you.
…and…
This program will be implemented best if we work in partnership to reduce shame and stigma around menstruation…
More “shame,” for “someone with a uterus and ovaries.”
Short version: if you want to avoid this indoctrination through third grade (since tampons will be free in elementary schools), move to Florida.
Back to the Education Department’s Handbook. Progressives leave no stone unturned in telling other people how to live; this publication is no exception. There are various charts of “recommended” products and directives for the size and location of the goodie-dispensers, and rules for instructions on every bathroom wall on how to use said implements, but it always seems to circle back to gender dysphoria…
Students who are experiencing gender dysphoria may be comfortable and safe only when products can be accessed within a single stall.
…or…
Education providers shall determine where to prioritize dispenser installation considering all-gender access to menstrual products and student privacy.
It takes 21 of the 26 pages to get down to reality, but here’s what this is going to cost you, the taxpayer…
HB 3294 created a $5,595,000 carveout of the State School Fund for the Menstrual Dignity Act implementation each biennium. Grants will be created annually for each eligible entity based on their second period ADM. During the 2021-2022 school year, school districts will receive up to $4.59 per ADM and each ESD will receive up to $0.37 per second period ADM.
Dignity doesn’t come cheap.
And who is naive enough to believe that teachers, products of progressive school of education factories, and under the shield of the teachers’ unions, won’t get into the swing of things.
After all, the Handbook counsels teachers to…
Share a few of your experiences going through puberty to relate to young people.
As the “gender as a choice” train rumbles out of the station, teachers are climbing on board. Here’s one message sent to teachers at one local school district, under the imprimatur of the school’s guidance counselor. Books to share with elementary-level kiddies…
Can’t get gender dysphoria cooking too early. The various Gender Clinics blossoming at hospitals throughout the state await your confused kiddies with hormones and a “pause” in puberty, and, if necessary, genital remodeling.
And parents take note: By another legislative fiat, after their 15th birthday your children will be able to make those life-changing decisions on their own and medical providers won’t tell you about them because you can’t legally see their medical records.
Parents who disagree with a bill signed by our state’s bisexual governor at the behest of lobbying groups and with hospitals salivating over five-figure (and up) “treatments” for gender-confused adolescents know that if they make a peep they will—at least in Portland—be shouted down. Or worse; simply ignored.
Tough luck.
The state may look the other way when people decide to “protest” by rioting and burning things they don’t like—but the state’s definition of gender is now holy writ. Wrists will be slapped.
Like your job? Shut up.
Why—to use another saying—have we allowed this camel’s nose under the tent?
Bayonets in the Bathrooms
Matt Walsh has the most successful LGBTQ and etc. book on Amazon, I think. He's pretty good.
At this link exist two clips: one is of "the community" outrage on twitter and the other is the author reading his book.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/megan-fox/2022/04/26/watch-amazon-employees-hold-secret-zoom-meeting-plotting-to-ban-conservative-childrens-book-johnny-the-walrus-by-matt-walsh-n1592951
And, just for added fun, Conservatives humanize babies by putting a gender on them so they can stop- people having abortions:
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1518276445335961605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1518276445335961605%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpjmedia.com%2Fvodkapundit%2F2022%2F04%2F26%2Finsanity-wrap-did-steve-martin-just-kill-cancel-culture-n1592815
These people might want to read Ursula Leguins Left Hand of Darkness which is about a society of gender fluid beings. Once a month they go through 'kemmer' a biological condition where they become fertile and can exchange DNA. Either one depending on the situation can become pregnant. Sometimes they are born in 'permanent kemmer' only being able to pitch but not catch so to speak and there is a word for this condition that translates as being a pervert. It is not a perfect world just a different set of problems.