Inside the Trans Period Pride Event That Made Angry Protestors Lose It

In May, right-wing media blasted a small Trans Period Pride event sponsored by the Massachusetts National Organization for Women (Mass NOW) and the MA Trans Political Coalition aimed at creating community for trans people who menstruate. The backlash was so intense the organizers were forced to move the event from the Boston Public Library to a new location, citing security concerns. But the event went ahead in mid-June. In this op-ed from Mass Now executive director Sasha Goodfriend, she explains what happened inside the Trans Period Pride event, beyond the outrage.We are a chapter of the largest feminist organization in this country, and we talk about periods a lot.Most of the time, angry men avoid that sort of thing. But this year, they were in an uproar. The combination of words was simply too much for them: Trans Period Pride at the Boston Public Library.Co-hosted with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, the event was intended to create community for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people who menstruate while highlighting an issue that rarely receives the attention it deserves: menstrual equity. Instead, it became the target of protests, online outrage, and threats severe enough that we relocated the event for everyone’s safety.The protesters arrived anyway – holding signs, filming attendees, shouting at people simply trying to walk through the door. And one by one, our guests walked past them.That contrast says everything.Outside, strangers shouted about an imaginary political bogeyman. Inside, people shared a meal, picked up free menstrual products and period underwear, and talked honestly about an experience that affects millions of people but is still wrapped in shame and misunderstanding.For many people, menstruation is treated as an inconvenience or an awkward topic to avoid. For many trans and nonbinary people, it can also be a source of profound isolation. A 2023 review published by the National Institutes of Health found that tr