Capturing Menstrual Diversity

Abstract

The current menstrual movement in the United States (US) is gaining ground and acknowledgement both in the academic and public sphere. However, this movement remains dominantly White and lacks racial diversity. This thesis challenges this focus on White American women and argues that it fails to acknowledge the complexity of the menstrual experience. The lack of a racially diverse representation and approach towards menstruation frames an incomplete picture of what menstruation and the related inequalities entail. The framing by Black American menstrual activists on social media platform Instagram shows what a different approach to menstrual inequality looks like and makes visible what the current mainstream movement is missing. By adopting theories of intersectionality and standpoint theory, the framing of menstrual activism by Black American women is examined. This thesis contributes to the growing field of inquiry to menstruation by focusing on the framing of menstrual activism through the lens of Black menstruating women.