The Newsletter of the Deeds Not Words Community

October 23, 2019 | Deeds Digest No. 151
The Deeds Digest is your bi-weekly look into the latest news from Deeds Not Words and what's making us inspired, angry, and ready to change the world. 🌍
Hello #Changemakers,

I remember the first time someone told me about my period. I was in fourth grade, I had just moved to this country and still didn’t speak much English. 

Our school had taken all of the girls in my grade out from class for a special presentation. We were lumped in the back corner of a dusty library and asked to watch an old “instructional” video that was probably recorded before any of us were born. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, other than an uncomfortable conversation.  

The school had extended the invitation for parents to join us. And of course, y sin falta, there waltzed in my mom wearing a pair of tight white jeans. 

The video covered the four phases of your menstrual cycle: menstruation, the follicular phase, ovulation, and the luteal phase, blah, blah, blah. But let’s be honest, none of us actually learned any of that then. The whole lesson lasted about 20 minutes, and all of us were left with so many questions. Can you lose your virginity from using a tampon? Can you swim while on your period? How often does my period come? 

All questions none of us were comfortable asking, much less out loud and in front of our other classmates. It was like the whole experience was carefully designed to make us feel awkward and ashamed. Luckily (and I say this now because I’m older), my mom stood up and in her broken English decided to tell her period story. She shared how she got her first period during her Quinceañera, stained her dress, and almost passed out because she wasn’t sure what was going on. 

She told my classmates that no young person should ever have that first experience, and that there was nothing that we needed to be ashamed about. I vividly remember her pointing at her white jeans sharing how she was on her period then. 

I now recognize the privilege of having a mom who taught me to never stigmatize something so natural. But here is the thing, Changemaker. There are many out there who are perfectly comfortable with doing just that. Making us feel ashamed about a natural, biological process that happens with our bodies on a regular basis. To make it even worse, that stigma has had economic implications as well. 

Did you know that in Texas men don’t pay taxes on viagra? Yet, the state still taxes us for menstrual products. And despite several attempts by leaders like Representative Donna Howard and Senator José Rodríguez to pass legislation that would remove this financial burden, we still have a Legislature who refuses to put these important bills on the governor’s desk. 

Period poverty is a real issue. Thousands of high school students miss class every day because of the lack of access to menstrual products, and many low-income people are forced to choose between a meal and buying menstrual products. We still have many folks who refuse to debunk period myths like you can’t exercise on your period, only women have periods, or that periods are dirty. These are all false. 

That’s why Deeds Now Words was proud to be a co-sponsor of statewide rallies to celebrate National Period Day. It’s important for all of us to fight to end to Tampon Tax and make menstrual products accessible for all, while also pushing to end the stigma that comes with menstruating. 

So what about you, Changemaker? Tell us your period story by using the hashtag #MyPeriodStory. 

Bleeding with Pride, 

–Claudia Yoli
Co-Executive Director

Last weekend, the country had its first National Period Day, where people around the country gathered in cities to elevate the issue of period poverty and demand real change to making period products more accessible for all, while ending the Tampon Tax.  Deeds Not Words is a strong advocate for menstrual equity, so it was a priority for us to celebrate National Period Day --- and our Changemakers at UT-Austin turned out big time to make their voices heard in the fight for menstrual equity, while registering voters and collecting pledges to vote. We see you, #Changemakers! 


In the words of UT-Austin Deeds Chapter member Simone, “No taxation on my menstruation.” 🔥

NASA’s all-female spacewalk makes history
 

One giant leap for womankind🚀
 

Last week, NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir made herstory when they became the first all-female spacewalk in history. The long-anticipated spacewalk came months after a previous spacewalk was re-scheduled because NASA didn’t have enough spacesuits in the right size. 
 

“In the past, women haven’t always been at the table,” Astronaut Christina Koch said in an interview with NPR. “It’s wonderful to be contributing to the human spaceflight program at a time when all contributions are being accepted when everyone is having a role, and that can lead in turn to an increased chance of success.”


Spacewalks are no walk in the park and are among the most grueling work that astronauts undertake in space. They are physically taxing and mentally challenging, where astronauts have said spacewalks are like taking an exam while running a marathon. 

 

Thank you, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir for creating spaces for the next generation of #Changemakers to make their mark in this world (or even outside it.). Next stop, the moon, ladies. 🚀


Here's more of what's inspiring us...
[Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault]


Yes, you read that headline correctly --- how could you not be angry? A San Antonio woman recently sued the City of San Antonio and a dectective after her tampon was pulled out by a detective during a search. In the summer of 2016, Natalie D. Simms was sitting on a curb in San Antonio, waiting for her boyfriend, when cops who had been investigating the area for drug activity approached her. They searched her but found no drug paraphernalia ---  but then a detective decided to search her vagina. Upon finding her tampon, the detective proceeded to pull Simms’ tampon out. They still did not find any drugs. 

 

Just days ago, the City of San Antonio settled with Simms’ for $205,000 --- but the trauma Simms endured will remain with her for the rest of her life. 


Simms’ situation is a part of a growing number of women who have experienced violating strip searches that are being referred to as sexual assault. This is an example of the gross mistreatment female bodies face on a daily basis, where our own menstruation --- a natural part of our biology --- is seen as a threat. This is not okay. Stop violating female-identifying bodies --- because our bodies are not an experiment for your curiosity or questioning. 
 

Here's more of what has us fired up ...

Early voting has started in Texas! Texans will have a chance to vote on a series of 10 constitutional amendments. Here’s a snapshot of the amendments Deeds is keeping an eye on: 

 

Proposition 2: Water Projects In Distressed Areas ➡️ Prop 2 would fund a municipal bond (or a loan used to fund local projects) that would give low-income areas fair access to water. 

 

Proposition 3: Tax Relief for Disaster Areas ➡️ People would be relieved of their taxes in areas struck by natural disasters, like hurricanes -- if the appropriate local governments choose to adopt the tax exemption. 

 

Proposition 6: Funding Cancer Research ➡️ Prop 6 gives the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) more funds -- an increase from 3 billion to 6 billion -- to support cancer research. 

 

Proposition 7: Funding Public Education ➡️ Prop 7 would increase funding for public education in Texas. The funding allows the Texas General Land Office to transfer more to the Available School Fund. The current maximum amount is $300 million/year. If Prop 7 is approved, that amount could increase to $600 million to fund public education. 

 

For a deep-dive into the constitutional amendments or to find your nearest polling place, head here. Election Day is November 5, 2019, if you’re unable to vote early!

 

Also, we’ve launched our new digital Pledge to Vote card, where we’re asking Texans like you to not only pledge that you’ll go to the polls, but also pledge to advocate and organize around the issues that you care about. To be one of the first supporters to sign-on to our pledge, click here

 

This week, we’re challenging you to take 5 of your friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors to the polls for early voting! See you at the polls, #Changemakers! 

This Week's #Changemaker:
TeQuila Chatmon, Texas Southern University

This week, we’d like to highlight TeQuila Chatmon, a campus organizer at Texas Southern University, who was one of the featured speakers at the National Period Day Rally in Houston. Let’s just say this --- TeQuila came with the fire🔥. In her speech, Tequila spoke about ending the shame and stigma around periods and eliminating the Tampon Tax --- a tax which creates a public health risk that can shut out low-income or homeless people from getting the health products they need while mensurating. You can watch Tequila’s speech here or click on the photo above! 
 

If you want to read TeQuila’s phenomenal speech in full, check it out on our blog --- and don’t forget to share it on Facebook and Twitter! 

Thanks for reading the latest edition of the Deeds Digest! Do you have any ideas for the next Deeds Digest? Want to share what's happening in your community? Feel free to reach out to sydney@deedsnotwords.com and let us know what's on your mind! Also, don't forget to "like" our Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to see the amazing things our #Changemakers are doing across the state. 

In solidarity,
—Sydney Greene 
Digital Coordinator
Menstrual equity is a key issue we’re fighting for at Deeds. Last legislative session, our student leaders helped pass HB 2169, a bill that made pads and tampons available for inmates. But 37 states, including Texas, continue to impose taxes on menstrual products, shutting out low-income and homeless people from getting the health products they need. This is where we need you --- our students plan to keep fighting for menstrual equity but we need the resources to keep our progress going. We’re asking you to support our youth so they can keep fighting so all Texans have access to menstrual products.
 
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