BY: CLAIRE KIM
Food, water, alcohol. These are all items exempted from sales tax because they are labeled as basic necessities in our lives. But what about pads, what about tampons? Aren’t these basic necessities for women? Unlike bras which aren’t necessarily “essential” for survival, such female products are quite essential from any female lense. So how come tampons are taxed but Viagra isn’t?
Clearly, this is gender discrimination.
By giving male products, like Viagra, the privilege of sales tax exemption in comparison to female products, this shows how unbalanced our definition of gender equality is from a very intimate topic. Just as how Viagra helps males amidst their biological problems, pads and tampons function in the same way for women, thus both should be treated equally. It’s unfair for lawmakers to say that female products are not important enough to be exempted while giving male products such benefits that should be shared evenly.
Under this decision, lawmakers are emphasizing the century-long idea that males are superior to females through sex-health products that serve a mutual audience. Seriously, how twisted has our society become?
Over half the nation relies on pads and tampons every year, every month, every day, every second. What gives male authorities the power to dictate what females are valued as when they can’t make rational decisions on their own? Tampons and pads are a “necessity” for all women in America, they are not luxuries of no purpose.
Give women the same privilege men receive regarding sales tax exemption of gender-based health products or get rid of the privilege entirely. It’s that simple.
#TrueEquality #FreePeriods
claire kim. 