Oregon's 'Menstrual Dignity Act' requires schools to place feminine products in boys' bathrooms
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!Oregon public schools will be required to provide feminine products along with instructions on "how to use" those products in all K-12 bathrooms regardless of gender, in accordance with the state's "Menstrual Dignity Act" signed into law last year.
The controversial mandate, solidified by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, was set to go into full effect during the 2022-2023 school year. A 2021 statement from Portland Public Schools detailed how the act would be implemented long-term.
FILE - In this June 22, 2016 file photo, Tammy Compton restocks tampons at Compton's Market, in Sacramento, Calif. California public schools and colleges must stock their restrooms with free menstrual products under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
"Starting next year (2022-2023), products will be available in all restrooms (male, female and all-gender) in every PPS building where education occurs," the statement read.
"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.
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"Instructions on how to use tampons and pads will be posted in all bathrooms," the source added.
The statement also stressed the need for students to learn about growth and development, noted that some physical education courses are implementing lessons on "the four pillars of Menstrual Dignity" and encouraged parents to have similar discussions with their children to help reduce the "shame and stigma" surrounding menstruation.
The Oregon Department of Education also doubled down on the controversial content by issuing a "Menstrual Dignity for Students" toolkit in March, complete with instructions on how to use menstrual products, segments on faculty and staff training, classroom instruction and tips for "menstruation-positive" language for families.
The toolkit also emphasized the need for menstrual products in all bathrooms because lack of access disproportionately impacts "students of color, students experiencing disabilities, and students experiencing poverty."
"Importantly, [the Menstrual Dignity Act] affirms the right to menstrual dignity for transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and two spirit students by addressing the challenges that some students have managing menstruation while minimizing negative attention that could put them at risk of harm and navigating experiences of gender dysphoria during menstruation," a segment of the introduction read.
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"Research also connects gender-affirming bathroom access to supporting student safety at school," the toolkit said.
Republicans outraged by the bill spoke out on the measure. Gubernatorial candidate Bridget Barton slammed Brown for the policy, as well as her stance on abortion, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Radical leftist woke policies are destroying Oregon from our streets to our businesses to our schools. But as a mom, a new grandmother, and a Republican candidate for Oregon governor, I can't believe we're even discussing this -- America's most unpopular governor, Kate Brown, is putting free tampons in the boys bathrooms of Oregon's elementary schools.
"Clearly Brown cares more about what's going on in the bathrooms than what's going on in the classrooms," she said.
Barton noted another policy flaw among the state's education system, saying that Oregon's students rank 46th in the nation in reading and math after Brown revoked allegedly "racist" academic requirements.
"We’re at the bottom of the barrel and the career politicians spend our taxpayer money on tampons for little boys," she said. "I'm respectful of all, but it's fair to let little boys be little boys, and little girls be little girls. Instead, leftist education bureaucrats are pushing this radical nonsense, spending precious class time coming between Oregon parents and their kids, creating activist factories instead of strong community schools.
"Oregon's kids deserve so much better from their schools; right now Oregon's public schools don't deserve our kids."
Barton said she is running to "put a stop" to these leftist policies and to better education in her state.
