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Columbia Law School Journal Seeks Papers on “the Intersection of Law and Menstruation”

Columbia Law School Journal Seeks Papers on “the Intersection of Law and Menstruation”

“Over half the population menstruates for a large portion of their lives, but the law has mostly been silent on the issue.”

Sometimes higher education is beyond parody. Now is one of those times.

From the Faculty Lounge blog:

CFP – Columbia Journal of Gender & Law Symposium, April 9, 2021: “Are You There Law? It’s Me, Menstruation.”

The Columbia Journal of Gender & Law is pleased to announce a call for papers for its Spring 2021 symposium: Are You There, Law? It’s Me, Menstruation.

This symposium explores the intersection of law and menstruation. Over half the population menstruates for a large portion of their lives, but the law has mostly been silent on the issue. Virtually all people with female biology menstruate, although not all who menstruate are girls or women. A truly inclusive law reform movement will take all who menstruate into account, without regard to race, economic class, age, or gender identity. A legal system that takes into account the biology of over half the population is the foundation for a more just society.

Judy Blume’s young adult classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, first captured readers’ attention fifty years ago, but only recently have periods entered the public discourse. The “tampon tax”—the state sales tax on menstrual products—is currently the subject of multi-state litigation and legislative advocacy…

Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words and should relate to the conference theme.

Possible topics might include:

  • Affordability, availability, or safety of menstrual products.
  • Challenging the state sales tax on menstrual products.
  • Menstruation-related discrimination and harassment in employment, education, and/or other contexts.
  • Menstrual education in schools.
  • Menstruation-related challenges unique to prisoners, incarcerated people, and visitors and employees in carceral facilities.
  • Menstruation-related needs of homeless and low-income individuals and families.
  • Cultural stigmas and taboos related to menstruation.
  • Lawyering and social movements that are inclusive of all who menstruate, including trans boys and men, people with gender fluid identities, and people with non-binary gender identities.
  • Research related to health issues connected with menstruation and menstrual products.
  • Environmental issues related to menstruation, including access to water, disposal of menstrual products, and toxic chemicals used in menstrual products.

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Comments

stpaulchuck | May 22, 2020 at 12:36 am

Wow. Just wow.

Is this how they train our future lawyers and judges? Or is it “publish or die” stimulating imaginative stupidity as scholarship? No wonder we’ve got all these mental midgets sitting on courts.

When they begin granting degrees in menstrual studies, will you be able to get one in tampon engineering and call it a STEM degree?

I think someone needs a lesson in geography. There are many streets that never intersect. These are – damn well should be – two of them.

henrybowman | May 22, 2020 at 8:44 pm

“Virtually all people with female biology menstruate, although not all who menstruate are girls or women.”

What kind of reporting is this? I want details. The Weekly World News would cover this.