There is another reason D.C. needs public toilets: menstruation. According to the Jan. 4 Metro article “D.C. seeks to fix dearth of public toilets in downtown,” the D.C. Council has approved two new public restrooms and greater access to private restrooms. Specifically, the D.C. Council supports its proposed pilot program by citing a need to enhance dignity and convenience, while also addressing concerns about public health and potential infrastructure damage caused by public defecation and urination. The D.C. Council should also consider menstruation.
Society has long stigmatized and ignored the fact that half of its population menstruates, even though it is a normal part of the lives of teenage girls, women, transgender men and people with a nonbinary gender. Menstruators must regularly change the products used to stanch menstrual flow. Without restroom and disposable product access, this becomes impossible. It can also result in people who are homeless self-admitting to hospitals just to address their menstrual needs. For transgender men, a private restroom may be necessary for safety. And it is difficult to use cost-efficient, environmentally friendly menstrual products without access to water and soap.
Throughout the country and in the District, menstrual justice is being sought by providing free products and removing the “tampon tax.” The District should enhance menstrual justice by recognizing menstruators’ dignity, health and product needs when carrying out its commendable project of increasing access to public restrooms.
Margaret E. Johnson, Bethesda