Always is taking the female symbol off its packaging to be inclusive of transgender and nonbinary customers
KIEV, UKRAINE – 2018/10/26: Always Ultra Pads seen in store. Always is a brand of feminine hygiene products, including maxi pads, ultra thin pads, pantiliner, and feminine wipes, produced by Procter & Gamble. (Photo by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
KIEV, UKRAINE - 2018/10/26: Always Ultra Pads seen in store. Always is a brand of feminine hygiene products, including maxi pads, ultra thin pads, pantiliner, and feminine wipes, produced by Procter & Gamble. (Photo by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(CNN) — Always sanitary products will remove the Venus symbol, historically used to represent the female sex, from its products to be inclusive of transgender and nonbinary customers.
Transgender activists and allies had publicly urged Proctor & Gamble to redesign its pad wrapper without the gender symbol, a circle atop a cross. Among their arguments were that not all people who menstruate are women and that not all women menstruate.
The change is the latest in a series of actions companies and governments are taking to affirm the identities of transgender people as transgender equality activism surges. Companies including Lyft, Mastercard, and Tinder are making similar moves.
“For over 35 years Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so,” Proctor & Gamble said Tuesday in a statement. “We’re also committed to diversity & inclusion and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all of our consumers.”
Getting periods can be a dysphoric experience for transgender and nonbinary people, especially because of the way that periods are generally discussed and addressed as something that only happens to people who are assigned women at birth.
Proctor & Gamble has not said when the design change will happen.
“We routinely assess our products, packaging, & designs, taking into account consumer feedback, to ensure we are meeting the needs of everyone who uses our products,” the company’s statement said.
