Periods aren’t shameful

In the beginning, a woman menstruated. Today, women still menstruate, yet after thousands of years of documented human existence, periods are still seen as taboo and disgusting in mainstream U.S. culture.

Last week, Canadian-based poet Rupi Kaur posted an Instagram photo of her sister sleeping on her side displaying a small circle of blood on her sweatpants—a period leak. Instagram removed the photo twice, stating that it violated community guidelines.

For many women, the shame and embarrassment that would come from leaking through their jeans while they were on their period would be enough to ruin an entire day. In reality, periods are something that should be considered a natural part of life.

Rupi Kaur did not take the removal of her photo lightly. She posted it a second time around accompanied by a strongly worded message to Instagram saying, “I will not apologize for not feeding the ego and pride of a misogynist society that will have my body in underwear but not be okay with a small leak.”

Instagram’s community guidelines state that they do not permit “photos or videos that show nudity or mature content.” Other than that, keeping spam, photos and videos that promote self-harm or display illegal content are the only “What not to do” guidelines.

While it seems that Kaur’s photo was swiftly deleted, other accounts that promote overly sexualized images of women remain without question.

This begs the question: Why is society okay with displaying photos of women half-naked, but not okay with periods? Periods are a natural part of life.

By deleting these posts from Kaur’s Instagram account, Instagram is perpetuating a culture that shames women for existing in their natural state.

It’s funny that Instagram is so quick to remove a photo that represents the cycle that allows humans to exist, yet allows sexually explicit, racist, violent and gory photos and videos.

Later, Instagram wrote Kaur an apology message saying that her posts were deleted accidentally and her posts would be restored.

Kaur wrote to her Tumblr followers, “Their patriarchy is leaking. Their misogyny is leaking. We will not be censored.”

By fighting back against Instagram, Kaur and her followers have relayed a clear rejection of the Internet’s lack of respect for women.

Other Stories

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Latest Stories

Related articles

Commentary: Music is A-Changing

At 7:48 p.m. on Nov. 4, before polls closed, New York City mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani released a video on social media platforms like Instagram and X titled, “New York is A-Changing,” which featured the song “The Times They Are A-Changing” by music icon Bob Dylan.

Students bond over campus Instagram accounts

Two Instagram accounts run anonymously by University of La Verne students, Benny the Bear and ULV's Best Bathrooms, integrate social media with campus life and have become popular conversation topics as their followers anticipate their next post.

Romance blossoms virtually amid pandemic

For couples and singles alike, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge to their love lives.

Unrealistic beauty standards plague social media

Kira, a junior kinesiology major at the University of La Verne, was 16 when she developed an eating disorder. When she first joined Instagram, she would see photos of girls that she didn’t know appear on her feed.