Once again, when it comes to issues concerning equality and inclusion, there are those who fail to understand the importance of certain battles (which are then nothing more than simple precautions), thus raising a debate full of controversy sterile.
They lit the last innocent fuse the players of the English national football team and the tennis players of Wimbledonasking that they no longer have to wear white shorts during their competitions.
Matter of style? Anti-traditionalist whim? Absolutely none of this. At the basis of their request, as often happens in these cases, there is the will to make the company think, so that one can also understand a point of view other than that of a cisgender man (whose sexual identity coincides with the biological sex assigned to him at birth) clouded by his privilege. But let’s see together why …
Even more so when sports are played at a high level, it is clear that an incredibly high amount of concentration is required: when you happen to have your period, is clear how a white shorts can make a differencecausing worry and de-concentration that even result in a disadvantage in performance.
Menstruation is a normal thing, as normalized it should be dirty rather than a cause for shame or deep discomfort. Fortunately, it has been talked about more and more in recent years, which is why many steps forward have been made trying to break down the relative stigma, thanks above all to those who have put their face into it firsthand, but it is clear that all this is still not enough. .
The stress that you can feel when you are in front of a large audience, such as that of a major sporting event, is all too real and concrete. A flood of people who, at least in a tiny part, would not hesitate for a moment to ridicule any “accidents” (deliberately in quotes), to rule on the female performance, to speculate on the fact that, perhaps, the player in question has lost the match because too “nervous” being “in here days there”.
Here you are, stereotypes about menstruation are still very ingrained, and we cannot blame those who feel the need to protect themselves from the gaze of others, especially when an entire career is at stake. Yet, as we said, by many people (especially those without a period) the issue continues to be branded as a useless controversy, with the “Grave fault” additional to go in the opposite direction to that of centuries-old traditions, as are the uniforms of the English national team and the Wimbledon dress code. In short, nothing new when it comes to women’s issues.
Because in a world built “by” and “for” men and women, of what does not concern us directly, for lack of experience and empathy, sometimes we do not really understand the meaning. Or we don’t want to understand it. And then we continue to unload the burden on all the other people, the direct interested ones, who are also the only ones to have to adapt, in the end, as those who cannot be free to have the ovaries and yet play in peace.
Source: Vanity Fair
