Democrat council members in Maryland are demanding that taxpayers foot the bill for a radical scheme to place menstrual products in all city-run men’s bathrooms.
City council members introduced a bill Monday that seeks to enforce the plan.
The lead sponsor of the bill is Baltimore Councilman Paris Gray, a Democrat.
Gray introduced the legislation during the city council’s bi-monthly meeting.
He said the bill is not just a proposal but claims it reflects the city’s commitment to “menstrual equity” and the values that Baltimore allegedly holds dear.
According to Gray, those values include dignity, accessibility, and public health.
“Access to menstrual products should be as fundamental as access to soap or toilet paper,” Gray said.
“It is an essential part of personal hygiene, and yet, for far too many people, these products remain out of reach.
“Menstrual products are not a luxury.
“They are a necessity, and the absence of access can create undue stress and hardship.”
If approved, Gray said the bill will require all city-owned and leased buildings with public restrooms to provide menstrual products free of charge.
However, the bill specifically states that the requirement includes male facilities.
“This includes restrooms and all kinds of facilities, whether they are designated for men, women, family use or single occupancy,” he said.
However, Gray noted that the bill is nothing new.
Instead, the bill codifies what Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration and Department of General Services have already done by taking steps to ensure menstrual products are available in many public facilities across the city.
Gray also said that Baltimore, a city ravaged by decades of corruption, is not joining a national movement for “menstrual equity.”
Instead, Gray boasts that taxpayers in Baltimore, one of America’s poorest cities, are leading the charge to promote “menstrual equity” across the country.
“Cities and municipalities are recognizing the point-importance of free access to menstrual products, and Baltimore’s proudly taking this place at the forefront of this critical effort,” he said.
In February, the Long Beach Unified School District in California took similar measures.
The district notified parents in an email that all schools containing grades 3 through 12 would have menstrual products in girls’ bathrooms, all-gender bathrooms, and in at least one boys’ bathroom.
The email told parents and caregivers the system is “committed to reducing barriers to learning and fostering a supportive environment for all students.”
The availability of period products in girls’ bathrooms and at least one boys’ bathroom is to “ensure that any student who menstruates-including transgender boys and nonbinary students-can access these necessary products with dignity and discretion,” per the email.
In California, the “Menstrual Equality for All Act” was passed in October 2023.
The act mandated that changes must be enacted at or before the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The following text was added to the state’s education code when the bill was passed:
“On or before the start of the 2024–25 school year, a public school, including a school operated by a school district, county office of education, or charter school, maintaining any combination of classes from grades 3 to 12, inclusive, shall stock the school’s restrooms at all times with an adequate supply of menstrual products, available and accessible, free of cost, in all women’s restrooms and all-gender restrooms, and in at least one men’s restroom.”
Menstrual products were defined in the bill as pads and tampons specifically “for use in connection with the menstrual cycle.”
The bill also said it is the state legislature’s intent “to promote period equity through adequate access to menstrual products in schools also serving grades 3 to 5, inclusive.”
