In ISIS held territories of the Middle East mass rape of girls and young women is the norm and they are sold as sex slaves in markets for the price of a packet of cigarettes. Closer to home thousands of British girls have had their external genitalia brutally cut off (FGM), thousand are trapped into forced marriages then regularly raped and honour crimes including acid throwing to disfigure women’s faces is common.
And the feminist movement doesn’t care and is doing nothing about all this. They are more obsessed with growing then dying their underarm hair and whingeing about something they call manspreading. This is when somebody takes excessive space on public transport. But every time I see this it is a woman taking up the next seat with her bag. The feminist movement is utterly pathetic.
And now they have a new obsession. They want their sanitary products to be tax free. Which is utterly ridiculous when everything comparable, such as men’s shaving requirements is taxed at 20%.
In fact women’s sanitary protection products are already covered by VAT Notice 701/18 which stipulates a VAT rate of 5%. Which is pure sexism. Why should women get a 75% tax break?
And the feminists, when presented with this argument, are lying and saying that there is no VAT on men’s shaving requirements. But VAT in the United Kingdom is based upon the standard rate of 20%, unless something falls into a listed category for a reduced rate or an exemption. Since there is no listing for razor’s in the exemption list they have a VAT rate of 20%. For further proof the Edwin Jaggar website shows that 10 Personna Platinum DE Razor Blades cost £2.00 or £1.67 (ex. Tax) which corresponds to the VAT rate of 20%. Unsurprisingly even the feminists in the Guardian are telling lies.
And women don’t need disposable tampons and pads. In fact these products are environmentally harmful. There are lots of reusable options, both external and internal. There are machine-washable fabric maxi pads, for example. It requires some effort to clean a reusable pad, but worth it to save the planet and the VAT. The real winner are menstrual cups, which you insert like a tampon and empty out as needed, reusing for years.
So, as usual, the nutty feminists are either wrong, or telling lies, or both. Feminism is proved to be an utter joke once again.
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Mem don’t need disposable razors! It’s bad for the environment. Just use a knife.
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Men***
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Trousers tho
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Bruce, mate, you’re an idiot piece of shit 🙂
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I’ll second that.
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Hi Bruce. I’m in Australia and read your blog. Yes, I’m an independent, well paid, self-educated female. No, not university grade, but smart enough to learn and challenge myself to achieve well in life. Im hardly caught up the feminist movement.., but I appreciate it for providing me with the vote and equality in my work environment as a wage earner. I make as much or more as my work colleagues. I’m not one to say “women earn less than their equivalent make counterpart” as I don’t believe this is true. But I do think we have been provided the right these days to work, have children, not have children… Whatever. And that’s because if the feminist movement. Otherwise I would’ve been bare-foot and pregnant and living on a low income. I note your comment suggesting we should all use a menstrual cup. I’m kinda grossed out by that though, but keen to hear your experiences with it when inserting and removing from… Your vagina?!? That’s right. You don’t have one. Or DO you? Also, in Australia… We pay full Goods and services tax on sanitary items. Same as everything else. It totals us around $15-20 a month in costs. Back as a child, I didn’t have disposable items as I lived on a farm… But these days, rags and washing/bleaching them aren’t as environmentally sustainable either. As for shavers… Female shavers are far more expensive here. So, internationally- there are various factors in your argument which are not valid. Thanks. 🙂
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Sorry I meant to say above that I make just as much or more than my male work colleagues. I apologise for my poor spelling and grammar- on a mobile here. Ta.
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Would you enjoy having a cup inside you, having to empty and wash it multiple times a day? Heaven forbid you get the timing wrong and said cup overflows. Using a rag is both unhygienic and unpleasant; trying to wash out stubborn blood stains is near impossible. We are not in a third world country, we should not be made to feel guilty for using proper sanitary products.
Besides that women’s shaving foam and razors are also taxed, not just mens. Even so, the number of tampons or pads a woman will buy in her lifetime will far exceed the cans of shaving foam men will buy in their lifetime. There is no male equivalent to the menstrual cycle. This is not a case of radical feminism, it is a basic case of inequality.
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Trousers
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You ought to read this, and gain some perspective. Yes, they do tax mens razors, but they tax women’s too. They tax your trousers, and they tax women’s too. Do they tax your tampons..? Do you live for a week in complete pain with the only ray of sunshine being the thing in your pants saving your trousers for utter ruin? Knowing you can’t afford to simply ‘buy cheaper ones’, because they don’t work – you get what you pay for. Why should we pay tax for nature?
http://www.danoah.com/2015/06/a-letter-to-men-the-lesson-of-the-saggy-burrito-in-my-pants.html
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Just addressing the logistics side of your ‘suggestion’ because I need you to know that even on a base level that this is dumb.
First of all, moon cups require cleaning after they’re emptied, making them defunct in public restrooms due to hygiene reasons. They also require replacing after several months – same with reusable pads.
Secondly, can you imagine women having hermetically sealed carry cases for used pads throughout the day? Which then would be stored in their handbags.
I don’t imagine this will be published with your blog, but that’s all really. Please stop telling women what to do with their bodies.
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When you are a woman and have to deal with your monthly period, then I will gladly hear your opinion.
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women shave too…
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lol, pleb
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Jesus, I didn’t know it was possible for a single person to contain so much stupid. Men are taxed on their shaving products, that’s true. But women have taxes on THEIR shaving products too. And then on top of that they have to pay for menstrual products that are also taxed. Listen, buddy, I don’t want to be rude, but honestly you should do a little more research before slating a worldwide movement. Feminism is the future, and feminism will improve men’s life as well as women’s. I highly doubt “feminists in the guardian” are telling lies, seeing as it’s a professional newspaper. Seeing as you don’t actually have periods, I don’t think you have the “right”, so to speak, to talk about periods.
For the benefit of the planet – please stop using your arsehole as a hat and learn some respect.
Best wishes for the future and any offspring you have.
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I love it when a guy is supportive of feminism. Mostly you just get the “blah blah, get back in the kitchen hehehe” But this is nice. Thank you 🙂
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What if women took the pill and didn’t have periods?
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The pill doesn’t atop periods for all women. Some women get lighter periods, or irregular ones, but it doesn’t necessarily stop altogether.
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Michele Yu
Hi Bruce,
You obviously have nothing to do in your life except write stupid blogs that you have absolutely no
knowledge about..
You my boy are an absolute rat bag, unitelligent,, uninformed about all of the above, possibly a masoginist and definately a MORON.
Go and gather knowledge about the above and come back when you have grown up
From a mother and senior medical officer..
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Oh my god. Yes we need tampons. And women wear trousers too? Idk what you think feminism is but reality check – it’s about being equal. Please don’t make life harder for yourself here. We’re not nutty we’re just not stupid and we see the glass roof above our heads in certain areas. Please talk to a feminist and see shat the hell we stand for x
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Trousers though
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Stupid beyond all sense for so many reasons, but in short…
1) Of course there are feminist campaigns against all kinds of international injustice as well, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait for every other issue to be solved before dealing with the (mostly much less horrifying) stuff that affects our lives here. If I give time or money to Cancer Research that doesn’t mean I can’t also support AIDS research…I can focus on more than one thing at once
2) You are seriously complaining about how men have to pay to shave, whilst also implying that you disapprove of women who don’t shave. Neither men nor women have to shave, but women have to buy sanitary products. ‘Womens’ shaving products are also normally much more expensive than men’s.
3) As others have said, you can use moon cups in public toilets as it wouldn’t be hygienic. Some toilets have shared male/female sinks, and if you don’t mind someone getting menstrual blood all over the taps as they try to wash their hands then I think you’re in a minority. And yes you can get washable pads, which would incur and extra cost (just for women again) in laundering them.
I hope you don’t have children, or that you’ll at least make some attempt to empathise with other people’s lives and difficulties. Eejit.
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Oh Bruce, I really don’t want to be rude, but since you are, I’ll just let it flow (get the hint ?).
Eventough we live in this world full of cruelties against men, you should acknowledge, that even us women, the privileged gender since the beginning of humankind, have to pay taxes for razors. I mean, your article clearly states, that you support women who do not shave and die their armpit hair funny colours, but did you know, that this hair dye ist taxed, too? As a meninst I clearly despise that you poor man have to pay taxes on trousers, for female clothing is tax free and so much cheaper in general! It should clearly be an ‘itsjustfuckingmenstrousers’ campaign, instead of ‘itsjustatampon’, because us women only fake periods, to not have sex with you and to get even more taxfree products!
I’m a proud meninist and i fully agree with you, Bruce! As the strong gender, we have to accept and respect you men.
Now excuse me Bruce, I’ll just go and change my reuseable pad.. Oh it bled through my pants? Don’t worry, I’ll just go buy myself some new, taxfree trousers.
Sincerely yours,
Natali
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Check your spelling please. *dyeing not dying. Honestly.
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From reading your blog post, it is clear just how much you do not understand regarding this issue. Women want tampons and pads tax free because they are necessary hygenic health supplies that they need every month (or however often a particular woman has her period). The point is, men don’t have periods and thus have no need for these hygene products and so we are being taxed simply for being women. You talk about how men are taxed for razors, but women also buy and use razors. Therefore, men are not the only ones being taxed for this product. Furthermore, it bothers me that you refer to feminism as an “utter joke.” Without feminism, I, as a woman, would not have many of the rights that I do have. For example, the right to vote, to not be discriminated against in the workplace because of my gender, and the right to decide what to do with my body and health just to name a few. I am sure that there are important women in your life (perhaps mother, wife, daughter, niece) and I encourage you to think about the impact that the feminist movement has had on them. How would their lives be different without feminism? What rights do they enjoy that would not exist if Feminism never existed? And finally, I want to remind you that men can be feminists too.
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Before you criticise this protest, consider this: if you began to bleed from your nether regions, and it didn’t stop for 6 days (and also left you with nausea, headaches, bloating, cramps and vomiting), you would visit your doctor, demanding to know what was going on and expecting treatment, but this is something women deal with each month and then have to pay for their sanitary product of choice. This tax is something that women pay, but men don’t- yes, our razors, shaving foam and trousers are taxed too (although how would I know, because I’m a feminist who absolutely loves to grow her underarm hair and then dye it purple). Moon cups are in limited supply, and cannot be cleaned in public bathrooms, and I don’t think anyone is keen on carrying used pads around in their bags to be machine washed later on. So please, before you take issue with the (approximately) 334 million women worldwide who are on their period at any one time, have a period.
(And I shan’t touch on the issue you take with feminism, because it’s clear you’re a misogynist, and I have no time for people of your ilk.)
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Wonderfully put Bruce!
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Men can choose whether or not they shave; women can’t just choose to stop having their period.
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“If you are laden down with prejudice or dogma or your brain is full of propaganda lies you may well struggle.
This blog is on the side of social justice (which socialism certainly isn’t), freedom, compassion, decency, fairness and tolerance.” – Bruce Everiss Blog info, 2015
Erm, Bruce…perhaps if you practiced what you preach/type out a keyboard, it might actually make you a compassionate, decent, fair and tolerant individual.
Believe me when I tell you that NO WOMAN CHOOSES TO MENSTRUATE or suffer from the associated medical conditions/issues.
It’s got nothing to do with being a feminist. Simply put these items should not be considered a luxury, they are a necessity and should actually be provided for free.
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Men don’t need disposable razors. In fact these products are environmentally harmful. There are lots of reusable options: getting a pet goat to eat the stubble, plucking it out hair-by-hair, taking a bread knife to the face, for example. It requires some precision not to cut a jugular vein, but worth it to save the planet and the VAT.
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No Bruce I get what you’re saying sir…. do I call you sir? I wasn’t alive in the oppression of women era so I am unsure how to address you properly. Anyhow more to the point you’re under the impression women are still you know the lesser counterpart to men (I took a literary liberty here, please don’t shame me for that). Essentially in your delusional world women don’t work right, like we just reproduce and use our lady magic to turn ingredients (that you bring home i.e. bacon) into dinner. Of course there is the cleaning and laundry, don’t fret I hadn’t forgot. So it stands to reason that you know worrying or even supporting the removal or dissolve of ‘tampon tax’ isn’t something a mere woman should bother with. I mean ultimately it’s your money right, if you want to pay the tax I as mentioned before I totally get what you’re saying. Feel free.
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What an idiotic article. For starters, women shave. We also pay taxes on our shaving products so the argument is null and void. In fact you will find that most women’s shaving products are more expensive then mens. Also I am not sure about whether this is true for the UK but in Australia products such as condoms and sunscreen are not taxed as they are seen as essential health items.
Also, even if this argument was valid (which it is not) men can choose not to shave and the consequence is that they grow a beard. If a woman were to chose not to use sanitary products the consequence would be that for 5-6 days each month everywhere she walked, sat and slept would be left puddles of menstral blood. His logic on how women could avoid paying the tax by using reusable material pads is flawed as well. It’s not like women use one pad per day and it lasts them until they get home, you often have to change pads 4-5 times a day. Throughout that day what exactly would I be expected to do with the blood-soaked rags, carry them around in my purse all day?
I am assuming, given Bruce’s environmentally conscious attitude that as he ages if he requires the use of adult diapers he will opt for a cloth variety and wash it out after each use. It might take a bit of effort but it is worth it to save the planet and a bit of dough, right Bruce?
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Okay well first of all, shaving is a choice, not a necessity. You complain about how men are taxed on razors, but guess what, women are too. Are men taxed on menstrual supplies? NO. A woman bleeds every month whether she likes it or not. If you want to save your money then you can just not shave, it’s simple. When it comes to sanitary products, it’s not a choice it’s a requirement. Second of all, women do wear trousers and it has recently been proven that men’s products in general are cheaper (deodarent, shaving cream etc) so please stop YOUR whining. Also please don’t tell me what products I need or dont need or what i should be putting inside of me because you have no right to tell me about periods as you are not only a man but a very ignorant one too (who never will get a period so you will never fully understand what it’s like/what products are needed), it’s really not your business what kind of hygiene products I use, it’s mine.
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Many women shave too, and pay the same as men on that front. Men have no equivalent to tampons and pads, so this isn’t comparable. Not shaving makes you no let sanitary. If you bleed every month and it gets onto your clothing it will stain horribly, leading to humiliation. It becomes a basic necessity. Do you even know what happens when a woman is on her period? I don’t know how it feels, but I can tell you what happens from a biological perspective.
If somebody is poor, the tax will squeeze more money from them. For some women, it means going without. With nothing to soak up the blood, this can in some cases lead to infection.
Get off your MRA high horse, notice the genuine value of the objects you compare. Look past the low-impact superficial Feminism (notice the capital F) and try and understand what is essentially a minor human rights issue.
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Men don’t need disposable razors. In fact these products are environmentally harmful. A flame thrower to the face does a thorough job of removing unwanted hair, as does sulphuric acid.
And if you’re fed up with paying the trouser tax, why not wear a skirt? Oops sorry, i forgot, skirts are taxed too!
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Just noticed the tag line on your blog, Bruce, about a reasonable man’s sensible commentary. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but your blog appears to have been hacked by a whining MRA. He’s obsessed with telling women how to deal with their bodies , complaining about how hard men have it and saying that with the terrible conditions women in other countries suffer from, feminists should worry about that, rather than complain about an unjust levying of tax.
Now we know you’re a reasonable man, Bruce. After all youve told us so. There’s no way, given the terrible things happening elsewhere in the world, that someone like you would waste time on complaining about an attempt to get an unjust tax removed. Would you, Bruce?
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Hey guys. Leave off Brucie! He’s taught me more about periods than I ever thought possible. Like, last month I was in this really important board meeting, and my fairy cupcake thought it would be magical to start passing big chunky period clots, and my moon cup was about to, uh, runneth over, but I just thought of Brucie and said to myself “FUCK THAT NOISE!” and let that shit run down my legs as I totally slammed my powerpoint on hair scrunchies, because I was totally wearing a skirt and you can just wipe that shit right off yo.
#womenagainsttrousers #notallmansplaining
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Shaving products aren’t male-exclusive; women shave too. If anything, they shave more. They also wear trousers. There is no equivalent male product, as a moment’s thought reveals. Are you sure that “feminists” are the ones doing the lying?
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Thank God you’re here to tell me what to do with my own body Bruce, phew! Given that you don’t deem sanitary towels a necessity as they can be replaced with non disposables I do hope you shave with a knife given that you consider disposable things environmentally unfriendly. Also, I fail to see how washable towels are any more environmentally friendly given that they are washed in washing machines. Unless of course you’re thinking we should take an even bigger leap back and women once a month should go and wash their sanitary towels in a lake and bash it against a rock until it’s dry? I might be mistaken but I don’t think that years ago before washing machines existed we were more hygienically clean so I’m not sure why you would suggest we should go back there?
Either way, don’t tell women what they can and can’t do with their body, you sexist pig. Also don’t try and lessen the fact that inequality is a global problem by bringing other countries into it. We as the British public cannot fix the inequalities in other countries, all we can do is fix them in our own and hope that in time everyone else reaches our level of equality. What’s wrong with having an equal society for the rest of the world to aspire to? You’re a caveman and no one cares about your old fashioned opinions!
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well said Bruce.
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Men like you do not have any right to tell women WHICH SANITARY PRODUCTS THEY SHOULD USE. That is none of your concern until you get a period, until then do not dictate what women should/should not do with regards to how they manage menstruation. Secondly, tampons and sanitary towels are a NECESSITY. Women and girls need them for hygiene etc. On the other hand I don’t think razors are a necessity in this sense; yes men do shave but they are not to be classed on the same level as tampons. Moreover, the fact that this issue – not taxing tampons – is being reverted back to “men’s needs” just shows that women cannot have one little article, one chance to speak out against something they feel very strongly back. This is about WOMEN’S tampons, WOMEN’S needs and concerns WOMEN, therefore lets not divert away from the fact that this is about what WOMEN want. Also, I can guarantee you that there are hundreds of organisations that are trying to help the vulnerable and discriminated against women abroad to receive justice and have their rights restored so they are not harmed, however, if you are complaining that NUTTY FEMINISTS aren’t doing anything about it, then maybe you should think again firstly about your position in this and secondly about sexism and inequalities at home. If you do not believe that women and girls are not gaining help abroad and this is shocking considering us NUTTY FEMINISTS are moaning about inequality, then maybe you should step up and take action to help these women rather than complain that NUTTY FEMINISTS aren’t acting. Lastly, we need to focus on sexism and injustices in Britain as well as affairs outside of the country. Did you know that in the UK Approximately 85,000 women are raped on average in England and Wales every year, Over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted each year and 1 in 5 women (aged 16 – 59) has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. Not only this but domestic violence numbers are worringly high and people still think that if you wear a short skirt you are screaming YES to be raped. People in the UK still do not know what consent is and believe that rape is based on what you were wearing or if you were drunk. Thus, before you start complaining about women’s body choices e.g. body hair, think again about the horrifying sexism and violence against women in the UK and I can tell you that we are trying to extinguish such issues out of this country the best that we can, but we need people like you to support it too.
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Bruce, you are an idiot. Don’t talk about things you can never understand.
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Typical feminazi response.