The irony of Republicans’ ‘Tampon Tim’ insult

ANDEven before the official announcement that Tim Walz would be nominated as the vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket, the Internet produced a cacophony of clips and jokes reflecting his progressive bona fides. Like the governor of Minnesota hugging a bunch of kids at the signing of the bill for free school breakfasts and lunches. Like a folksy father joking with his vegetarian daughter about whether turkey is meat. (According to Walz, “In Minnesota, turkey is special.”)

In the midst of this, a corresponding and cruder nickname emerged: Tampon Tim. This time, a seemingly conservative dig referring to Walz’s support for a State law of 2024 which requires all Minnesota public schools to provide menstrual products in bathrooms.

There is an element of déjà vu to time. Nearly nine years ago, on August 8, 2015, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump hurled an insult at then-Fox host Megyn Kelly: he accused her of having “blood coming out of her everywhere” when he thought her health issues debate were unfair. At the time, I wrote here in TIME: “Period jokes are a dime a dozen, Donald. Half of the American electorate – in fact, half of the world’s population – deals with menstruation. But for those living in poverty, the lack of access to menstrual health care is more than a joke.”

Now, nearly a decade later, periods have become a mainstream public policy priority. Far from being ridiculed or vilified, “menstrual equity” is an agenda that enjoys broad bipartisan support across the country. Until here, 30 states have eliminated the state sales tax on menstrual products (also known as the “tampon tax”), including a law signed last year by the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott. Minnesota is one of 28 states committed by law and/or budget to providing menstrual products in schools, joined by Republican-led states like Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Utah.

In fact, in 2018, Trump himself signed the first federal menstrual access requirement into law – the Act of the first step, a 2018 prison and sentencing reform package that requires the provision of menstrual products in federal prisons. In 2020 he signed the CARES Actwhich made it possible, for the first time, for employees to use Flexible Spending Account grants to purchase menstrual products with pre-tax dollars.

As for the latest round of name-calling, it appears that the aspect of the Minnesota law that has most agitated conservatives is its language: the law states that pads and tampons must be available to “all menstruating students” and “in bathrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 through 12.” A failed attempt to amend the bill to name only “women’s restrooms” did not prevent it from passing as is, with bipartisan support. Among his Republican supporters, Rep. Dean Urdahl commented“Just talking to my wife and family, they felt it was an important issue that I should support.”

And it really should be that simple. Policies that address the economic burden of menstruation and that recognize the educational value of treating menstrual products as basic school supplies have proven to be a popular and commonsense reform – at home and abroad.

As a political game, focusing on any issue involving reproductive health, including menstruation, is a risky move for Republicans. Survey after survey shows that most Americans support reproductive rights and vote on the issue. In her role as vice president, Kamala Harris resumed the discussion around menstrual literacy and data protection when it comes to abortion, for example. With Governor Walz as an advocate for combating period poverty, it’s a drum that’s wise to beat.

And finally, as Walz reminds us, anyone who thinks period jokes are appropriate or funny is just, well, weird.