You can read the comment this is in reponse to here.
Dearest PonyPrince,
Firstly, I’m sorry to have waited so long to reply to your comment. I have spent the past few weeks gauging others’ opinions on this subject, and trying to really process how I feel about your reaction to my post. I think you made a lot of intriguing points, and I want to give all of them the same written time that my mind has dedicated to thinking about them!
“There is no such thing as a conscious consumer.”
I beg to disagree. I believe we live in a world that has simply stopped caring: about where our food comes from, what chemicals are in our hand soaps, or who was exploited to make our converse hightops. It is almost impossible to live in a world where we do not consume. Everything from the water we drink to the air we breathe has been given a price tag. We are all consumers, incapable of a life with out consumption at this juncture of our political lives. Because everything has a price tag, we are in turn all Capitalist Consumers. To be informed about the consumption you are a part of, is to take one step in the undoing of the oppression of many, and to undo the oppression of many is to make a step in the undoing of the oppression of all. To continue to support capitalist systems that knowingly exploit other countries, or repress other cultures, when you have the privilege to do otherwise, is an elitist ideology. This is, in my eyes, in line with your statement of:
”It takes a lot of often unchecked privilege to be capable to “dropping out” in this way.”
I whole-heartily agree with this statement. I apply this thought to those in my life who can “afford” to be “activists” because they do not work two jobs/are not a person of color/are not queer/have a gender identity that matches their assigned/perceived sex/have health care/do not have a criminal record/do not have drug addictions/or any of the other number of privileges often left unchecked at the door in a leftist/radical/conservative/independent/anarchistic conversation. Few people in this world are capable of living a life completely dedicated to ‘the revolution’.
”the emphasis should be placed on the deconstruction of these system in comparison to urge folks to consume in certain (and expensive) ways.”
I would like to focus specifically on the “expensive” point for a second. I’m not sure how much time you dedicated to reading the whole zine, or if the whole issue of reading about altmenstrual products was enough for you to say “fuck it”. One of the points we made was, however, the cost saving effects of using reusable menstrual products such as a cup or pads. It is idealist to assume that these options will work for everyone. But for those who are capable of purchasing these [almost] one-time-buys, they are done. Their contribution to the “capitalist system” is less, because they don’t need to re-purchase another cup for 3+ years. The 30$ I dropped on a cup is nothing compared to the $200+ I gave to male-owned-generic brands the 3 years prior to my cup decision.
As for placing emphasis on “deconstruction of these systems”, perhaps we need to focus on a true definition for the word “deconstruct”. In my mind, and my dictionary, to deconstruct is to “break down into components”. To deconstruct the oppressive nature of capitalism, we cannot simply stop consuming, for that takes, as you have remarked, a lot of unchecked privilege. So, we must make the decision to choose the lesser of two evils. Perhaps we are at an impasse on this subject. For you, the “lesser of two evils” choice is to give less money to the system of capitalism. In my eyes, however, I can do more good by choosing to give my money to sectors of a capitalist system that exploit less, hurt the environment less, and hurt my body less. I recognize that I am in possession of privileges that allow me to make those decisions. I am capable of driving a car, to a co-op 20 miles from my home. I am capable of feeling comfortable when I walk in to the store. I am able to push my own cart or hold my own basket. I feel safe putting products deemed for females in my basket. I am able to afford the products I have decided to buy, and maybe even a snack to tide me over for my ride home. I do not do these things out of spite for those who are unable. I do not intend to stick my tongue out at those who do not have my same level of privilege, and mock them for their “misfortune”. But choosing to not do these things because I fear others thinking me a privileged person is no worse than leaving my privilege unchecked. It is elitist to assume that by simply not participating in privileged experiences, I am suddenly “free” of my privilege.
“I am not transphobic or misogynistic because I purchase the cheapest menstrual product that I can find that I can hide easily and use in the men’s room.”
I was first introduced to the idea of menstrual cups by, in fact, a trans-friend. This person preferred to use cups because it requires less trips to change things out, zero risk of something not flushing down the toilet, less possibility of hiding tampons or pads in their pockets, less risk of leaking, and only 1 trip down “females only” aisle. I can imagine that *some* trans-folk might actually even feel more comfortable purchasing products from co-op stores, since the majority of folks who get behind environmental justice, are *usually* pretty “liberal-minded”. A man buying tampons from Target is still frowned upon in our society.
It is true that some vaginas are just incapable of putting up with cups, just as some would rather die than feel the poke of a tampon, or the rub of a pad. Everyone has their preferences. Power to those who embrace the menstrual options that suit them even if they are disposable.
Furthermore, to continue to support companies that knowingly allow chemicals like dioxin (which in the case of female assigned folks, leads directly to ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer) in tampons, is indeed an act of misogyny. Plenty of folks in this world might have a love hate relationship with their cervix, but I am particularly attached to mine. Robert Eads was a trans man of low socioeconomic status. It’s possible he might have had a strong distaste for his own female anatomy as well, particularly during his losing battle against Ovarian Cancer. I have no proof that his cancer was a direct result of his cheap tampon use. I won’t pretend I do. But what kind of power could this information have provided him with?
“It’s also a racist assumption to say, hey, live life this way”
It would be racist of me to assume that people of color do not care. It would be racist of me to say that, since only white-eco folks can afford to shop at co-ops, only white-eco folks are deserving of this information. For the most part, only folks who shop at co-ops are given any information like this. Environmental problems affect people of color more so than they affect white people. Look at where the garbage dumps are, look at where incinerators are located, and look at who has the least amount of access to organic produce or locally farmed foods. Compare these neighborhoods to those with the highest risks of cancer. Environmental Problems are directly linked to issues of social justice.
It would also be racist of me to demand these things from people of color. It would be elitist to demand these things from everyone. If we wanted to push this we could even go so far as to talk about how elitist it is for us to blog about any of this, seeing as who has more access to computers? Who feels safest Google-ing “Queer”?
The post, and the zine, were about putting out information. My head is filled everyday by a media that projects ideas of using “lavender fresh” tampons and “fresh scent” pads. I have been given the idea that my body is a dirty place to be around. Creating a zine about bleeding on frog patterns and heart shapes? That makes me feel empowered. That is giving power to womyn, of color or not. It is saying “fuck you, I don’t want to buy your products that tell me I’m dirty” or that I should have a desire to “play as hard the boys”.
Is it feasible for all women of color to make that decision? No. Is it feasible for all college students to make this decision? No. Is it feasible for all transfolk to make this decision? Certainly not. But does an inability to afford these products, or lack of access to them mean that those without my privilege are suddenly not worthy of the information?
“Liberation! Not assimilation!”
No matter the social privilege we may have or may not have, no matter your access or lack thereof, there will come a point when none of it matters. We live in a world of finite resources. At some point, the water will dry up, the air will become to toxic to breathe, or the landfills will become so filled with junk that we no longer have a place to live. You can deny assimilation; you can fight against being like “everybody else”. But when we have finally deconstructed every social caste system, there won’t be a world for us to be a part of.
