'Hard to feel human when we’re reduced to "menstruators,"' one female critic commented
Social media users ripped apart an X post by the Department of Labor that offered advice for employers on how to help "menstruators thrive at work."
A federal department calling people who get their periods "menstruators" rather than females or women in an official post was too much for many readers, who went on to trash it in the comments section.
"Defund your worthless agency yesterday," wrote conservative journalist and Grabien.com founder Tom Elliott.
The Department of Labor was rebuked after offering tips on how employers could better treat "menstruators" in their offices. (Getty)
The department on Wednesday shared the post, which stated, "#Menstruation affects half the U.S. workforce but talking about it at work can be taboo. For #MenstrualHygieneDay, here are 5 easy actions employers can take to help menstruators thrive at work."
#Menstruation affects half the U.S. workforce but talking about it at work can be taboo. For #MenstrualHygieneDay, here are 5 easy actions employers can take to help menstruators thrive at work. https://t.co/IwXzPD9huY #PeriodFriendlyWorld #MHD2024
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) May 29, 2024
The post linked to a Department of Labor blog post titled, "5 Ways Employers Can Make Workplaces More Menstruation-Friendly."
The post, which was published to commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28 this year), provided a list of "five more ways employers can make workplaces more menstruation-friendly."
The list included tips such as, "Provide a sufficient supply of varied period products in bathrooms and ensure menstruators can access products privately" and "allow flexibility in uniforms, with options in dark colors to ensure menstruators do not need to worry that an unexpected period or heavier flow will lead to noticeable stains."
"Guarantee access to paid sick leave, provide explicit guidance that menstruation is a qualifying condition for the leave … and ensure that employees and their managers are aware these are allowable reasons to use sick leave," the post also said.
Additionally, the list added, "Educate and train workers and managers about the symptoms of menstruation and how they can impact employees at work and include support services for menstruation in any Employee Assistance Program offered."
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"Menstruator" is a politically correct term meant to be inclusive of biological females who identify as male. (Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The post received significant backlash.
Jewish conservative commentator Ron Coleman wrote, "WOMENstruators, if you don’t mind."
WOMENstruators, if you don’t mind
— Ron Coleman (@RonColeman) May 29, 2024
Fox News contributor Guy Benson rebuked the department.
"They’re called women. That a tiny fraction of biological females identify as males does not mean that we need to replace the word ‘women,’ or uproot our whole language to try to satisfy the capricious demands of a fringe," he said. "And it’s not transphobic to say so. Stop it."
They’re called women. That a tiny fraction of biological females identify as males does not mean that we need to replace the word ‘women,’ or uproot our whole language to try to satisfy the capricious demands of a fringe. And it’s not transphobic to say so. Stop it. https://t.co/o6iViW5rOy
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 29, 2024
Journalist Wesley Yang condemned the U.S. government at large.
"The most powerful entity putting its weight behind disaggregating women into a bundle of isolated parts and functions while forbidding reference to an integrated whole comprising a distinct sex class is the US federal government," he wrote.
The MRC’s Brittany Hughes weighed in, stating, "People who can't even bring themselves to say the word ‘women’ want us to openly discuss our periods in the workplace. Literally no actual woman wants this. Not a single one."
The Independent Women’s Forum’s Gabriella Hoffman wrote, "When it's not forcibly reclassifying independent contractors as employees, @USDOL is prioritizing the erasure of women. Just lovely."
The Federalist correspondent Brianna Lyman posted, "Insulting that I'm reduced to being a ‘menstruator’ rather than simply a WOMAN because a handful of mentally ill women want to be called men -- but still get their periods."
Insulting that I'm reduced to being a "menstruator" rather than simply a WOMAN because a handful of mentally ill women want to be called men -- but still get their periods https://t.co/VS8puwGeBK
— Brianna Lyman (@briannalyman2) May 30, 2024
Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.