The maker of Always sanitary pads has given in to claims of discrimination by transgender men and removed the ‘Venus’ symbol of the female sex from the wrapping.
Outraged women are now boycotting the leading brand after the decision by makers Procter & Gamble (P&G) to kowtow to trans activists who were born female and still use sanitary products.
Last night, feminists warned that the concession is a chilling move towards the ‘elimination of women’s biology’.
Ben Saunders – named young campaigner of the year by LGBT charity Stonewall in May after making a documentary about being transgender – contacted the sanitary pad makers in June with a similar complaint
The cave-in by P&G comes after Flora margarine stopped advertising on Mumsnet following accusations that the parenting website is transphobic, which also sparked a boycott as reported by The Mail on Sunday last week.
A trans activist using the pseudonym ‘Melly Boom’ had tweeted in July asking Always why it was ‘imperative’ to have the sign on their sanitary products.
The tweet said: ‘There are non-binary and trans folks who still need to use your products too you know!’
Outraged women are now boycotting the leading brand after the decision by makers Procter & Gamble (P&G) to kowtow to trans activists who were born female and still use sanitary products
Another activist, Ben Saunders – named young campaigner of the year by LGBT charity Stonewall in May after making a documentary about being transgender – contacted the sanitary pad makers in June with a similar complaint.
The Always marketing team replied with a comment that Saunders, 18, posted on Twitter, reading: ‘We are glad to inform you that as of December we will use a wrapper design without the feminine symbol.’
The message stated that sanitary towels with the new packaging would hit the stores by January 2020 and added: ‘We are absolutely grateful for having people like you voicing their opinions.’
But many of Always’s female customers have responded angrily to the move and are vowing to switch to other sanitary products.
Leading feminist campaigner Julie Bindel told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Removing the female symbol from sanitary towel packaging is basically denying the existence of women.
We’re now moving towards the total elimination of women’s biology. The women’s symbol has been used by feminists for decades. This is pure cowardice and virtue signalling from these big corporate brands who are capitulating to the trans agenda.’
Women on social media sites also aired their fury at the decision by P&G.
Maya Forstater, a women’s rights advocate who lost her job as a think tank tax expert for saying transgender women are not women, tweeted: ‘The venus sign in biology is used to represent the female sex (you know, the ONLY people who will ever need these products). It does not represent gender identity.’
Another objector, Lizzi Watson, said: ‘Biological women should just boycott the brand, then they might realise real women have feelings too, which they have somehow ignored.’
The Always marketing team replied with a comment that Saunders, 18, posted on Twitter, reading: ‘We are glad to inform you that as of December we will use a wrapper design without the feminine symbol'
A third woman tweeted: ‘Guess I will also be boycotting @always for throwing females, the ONLY sex that menstruates regardless of clothes or other superficial gender expressions, under the bus.’
It is the second brand this month to face a boycott from women for bowing to pressure to trans lobbyists.
Last week, The Mail on Sunday reported that the manufacturers of Flora, Upfield, decided to cut ties with Mumsnet after transgender rights campaigners complained it had become a ‘platform’ for ‘trans-hostile’ posts.
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts rejected these claims and said it was important for freedom of speech that its users be allowed to debate transgender issues – such as the growing number of children declaring a wish to change sex.
Dozens of mothers who use the website publicly pledged to stop buying Flora or any other products made by Upfield.
P&G, the American company that owns the Always brand, has confirmed that the new sanitary pad packaging without the venus symbol would be introduced across Europe.
A spokesman for the firm said: ‘For over 35 years, Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so.
‘We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion, and we realise that not everyone who has a period and needs to use a pad identifies as female.
‘That is why we wanted to ensure that anyone who needs to use a period product feels comfortable in doing so with Always.’
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