I understand (sadly) the need for the no purses/backpack rule, however,I don't want anyone asking my daughter THAT question--except the doctor who is supposed to. If it is that bad, they need to buy the see through purses--remember those!?--or the nurses office needs a hearty supply!

Not being a woman, nor having a daughter, I don't understand why it is so wrong to ask if the girl in menstruating.

It seems like they are protesting over something that is hardly a problem.

The bags are banned unless the girl is on her period, they asked if she was to ascertain whether or not she could have the bag.

What is so wrong about that?

Women complain that men freak out about menstruating and treat it like some alien thing that they don't want to understand. Freaking out over someone verifying if you meet the criteria for having a bag isn't the best way to solve that problem.

This isn't about women. These are young girls. At that age, it IS an embarrassing subject. Maybe the guy could have put it a little more delicately.

I said the same thing to eljay. I don't have the necessary body parts to relate to the situation and cannot think of any "question" someone might ask a guy that might cause a similar reaction.

not just embarassing but this type of prodding question may actually be regarded as an invasion of privacy. If its a matter of school security they're concerned about,then I agree with eljay's suggestions as a good start ( see first comment above).

I remember being a 15 year old girl.

I think one of the most embarassing circumstances for a girl that age would be the 'whole school' knowing she had her period. The see-through purses might be a good idea, but then everyone would still see..... I feel bad for the girl, but I like how the other students supporting her in the protest.

How should they have said it? "Is your vagina bleeding?" I don't see that there is a more delicate way to ask the question. "Are you on your period?" and "Are you mentrating?" are too obvious, so that all the guys will understand it. The Aunt Flo thing, most guys don't know that one until they're a little older. I think the Aunt Flo question was fine, and that this is a major over-reaction.

By the way, the response she gave makes it clear that she was, in fact, being visited by her Aunt Flo.

Okay, I will just accept that I don't understand why someone knowing you are on your period would be embarrassing. I would assume that not having your period yet would be more embarrassing but fine.

How is the dozens and dozens of students making a big deal of it better than one guard verifying you are following the rules? Isn't the former more embarrassing?

Wouldn't the girl rather the yuckky old guard know she is experiencing a normal physiological function than having it broadcast and that cute guy she has a crush on hearing about it?

The kids might tease her, but the guard couldn't care less.

The see-through purses would, as tundramonkey pointed out, allow even more people to know so that should be more embarrassing.

...at least someone is having fun! :D



oh, and 2many;
trust me, it is embarrassing to talk about having your period at that age...or not having your period at that age...or discussing your period period..
Remember, these are girls, little woman in the making, you're not supposed to understand ;)

The closest thing I can think of is an older woman asking boys if they're currently experiencing an erection. Not because she's really interested, but because boys are not allowed to carry books in front of their crotch without a good reason.

Ah, but the teenager would probably proudly say, "Why yes, I am. Want to check it out?"

And if the rule was you can only carry a book in front of your crotch if you are sporting wood, then it would be acceptable to ask that question to ensure that the rules are being enforced. That's the part I don't get. I understand the topic itself is uncomfortable, but the man is doing his job by asking.

Would it have been better for the man to search the bag in front of everyone? I figure that would have been worse, but that's the only way I can think of getting around asking.

What an irritating rule. If only girls with periods are allowed to cary bags they might as well put a stamp across her forehead that says MENSTRATING.

Either they need to give girls access to GOOD supplies in the bathrooms, or they need to allow small purses for all girls.

There is no reason to have to embarrass girls like this.

I wasn't agreeing with the student protest, just trying to think of a similar situation a boy could be put in.

Seeing as it's a student protest, they have their ideas of what is/isn't right, but that doesn't always go with what society at large accepts.

I remember being angry about various rule enforcements in high school that I really couldn't give a damn about now. They'll get older, they'll realize the question was justified, and they'll probably look back and think about how stupid their protesting it was.

I managed to make it through high school without putting my girlie supplies in a bag. Tampons and pads are made to be discrete and easily fit in a pocket. If you're going through an entire purse full of them during one school day, there's something wrong, and you really need to see a doctor.

Great for you, but most jeans I find have pockets so small a single pad would make them bulge. (I hate girl pants) That and if the girl wears a skirt she certainly wont have any pockets at all.


Really this is all just a bit silly. I don't see why the big fuss over letting girls carry a small purse without having to talk about their period. If the girl wants to bring a gun or knife to school wouldn't she just lie about being on her period anyway? Or did I miss the part where girls don't lie?

For that matter, do they prohibit baggy pants/shirts? or is a backpack the only way a boy could sneek a gun into school?

Girls are born with pockets!

I don't get the whole "no backpacks" etc, albeit, I am an australian living in the middle of nowhere, but even if there's a no backpack rule, simply have a limit on the size of bag allowed, eg anything big enough to carry a weapon of size or real danger isn't allowed, but if it was just a small bag big enough to fit "the essentials", problem solved, everyone could have one so no one would be singled out...For the same token, the guy was doing his job, he didn't do it when everyone was around he took her out of class, and asked quietly to avoid embarrasment, he dealt with it more tactfully than most people would have, and i bet she hears much ruder remarks,jokes etc from her teenage classmates...

Okay. Let's look at the situation again.

According to the article, the district banned *backpacks in hallways* this year for safety and security reasons. But the security guard called Samantha *out of class* because she had a *purse* and asked her if she was menstruating.

So what, exactly, is the policy? I smell a rat. And it's a rat I wouldn't want around my daughter.

urgh..embarrassing. I honestly am not convinced that prohibiting a backpack will deter any weapon usage. Someone will always find a way to sneak something in. It's sort of dehumanizing in a way. Like having to ask to go to the bathroom..if I had to go in class like hell was I not going if I was refused permission. That guy running through the hall naked was funny. Quite clever actually.."Dress naked and there'll be no questions of whether or not that's a gun in my pocket."