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Why using toilet paper harms people of color
June 6, 2019 - Emily Goldstein
The Daily Wire’s Lexi Mainland recently posted an article on Twitter detailing a fact that needs to be addressed if we’re going to get rid of the use of toilet paper. “Race and toilet paper. I am not making this up.”
Toilet paper is a waste product and thus belongs in landfills, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While the agency deems waste paper responsibly recyclable, it was also pointed out that not all landfill sites are prepared to accept toilet paper.
As a writer, sometimes I’m the first person to point out that I have no power. So I stopped myself from getting too mad. Instead, I think it’s worth looking at this article in its entirety.
First of all, when is the last time you used toilet paper? Is it right to imply that there aren’t women who have used toilet paper, including black women? How many people of color use toilet paper? The United States does not have a statistic for the black population. However, according to one source, black Americans contribute to about 30 percent of toilet paper use in the United States. They’re also the ones most likely to use household cleaners for their toilet tissue. Most of us find it difficult to choose between cleaning the household and buying more toilet paper. It’s hard to say which we’d rather spend money on, no matter the circumstances.
I’m not going to take sides. If you’re the type of person who relies on toilet paper for hygiene, then have at it. I just think that this sort of pushback from white men, the nation’s most privileged class, is a disservice to women.
Then there’s the problem of the trans community and toilet paper. According to Redbook, 40 percent of trans people report using “bathroom choice as a factor in relocating.” There’s a reason that bathroom movements in North Carolina and Tennessee promoted the idea that people needed access to facilities that match their gender identities. People of color, particularly black people, are most likely to experience disparities in health care access. Why would we want to endorse a behavior like using toilet paper as a reason to move, or discourage using the bathroom to begin with?
“Uncle Tom” is a word I never thought I’d ever hear, but thanks to Mainland, people of color are now going after it.
“Uncle Tom” is a word I never thought I’d ever hear, but thanks to Mainland, people of color are now going after it. I can only imagine the reactions of people like Phillip Reyes, the grandson of “Uncle Tom” who eventually found his father had re-examined how he dealt with the term as he was struggling with transgender issues.
I found it refreshing that Mainland didn’t wait until she’d finished to add another discriminatory and transphobic view to her writing about toilet paper.
I’d be interested to see what Mainland thought about LGBT communities who are imprisoned for holding rainbow flags, wearing stickers, or speaking out in public. If Mainland and others who supported Betsy DeVos’ support for “religious liberty” were serious about prohibiting discrimination, she might consider demanding changes in the way HUD and DOJ conduct service areas and enforce LGBT rights.
I’m sorry to say that Mainland didn’t learn much from my feminist experiences. But I’m sure she’ll be happy to share a lot of sexist comments she received in private.
Why using toilet paper harms people of color
June 6, 2019 - Emily Goldstein
The Daily Wire’s Lexi Mainland recently posted an article on Twitter detailing a fact that needs to be addressed if we’re going to get rid of the use of toilet paper. “Race and toilet paper. I am not making this up.”
Toilet paper is a waste product and thus belongs in landfills, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While the agency deems waste paper responsibly recyclable, it was also pointed out that not all landfill sites are prepared to accept toilet paper.
As a writer, sometimes I’m the first person to point out that I have no power. So I stopped myself from getting too mad. Instead, I think it’s worth looking at this article in its entirety.
First of all, when is the last time you used toilet paper? Is it right to imply that there aren’t women who have used toilet paper, including black women? How many people of color use toilet paper? The United States does not have a statistic for the black population. However, according to one source, black Americans contribute to about 30 percent of toilet paper use in the United States. They’re also the ones most likely to use household cleaners for their toilet tissue. Most of us find it difficult to choose between cleaning the household and buying more toilet paper. It’s hard to say which we’d rather spend money on, no matter the circumstances.
I’m not going to take sides. If you’re the type of person who relies on toilet paper for hygiene, then have at it. I just think that this sort of pushback from white men, the nation’s most privileged class, is a disservice to women.
Then there’s the problem of the trans community and toilet paper. According to Redbook, 40 percent of trans people report using “bathroom choice as a factor in relocating.” There’s a reason that bathroom movements in North Carolina and Tennessee promoted the idea that people needed access to facilities that match their gender identities. People of color, particularly black people, are most likely to experience disparities in health care access. Why would we want to endorse a behavior like using toilet paper as a reason to move, or discourage using the bathroom to begin with?
“Uncle Tom” is a word I never thought I’d ever hear, but thanks to Mainland, people of color are now going after it.
“Uncle Tom” is a word I never thought I’d ever hear, but thanks to Mainland, people of color are now going after it. I can only imagine the reactions of people like Phillip Reyes, the grandson of “Uncle Tom” who eventually found his father had re-examined how he dealt with the term as he was struggling with transgender issues.
I found it refreshing that Mainland didn’t wait until she’d finished to add another discriminatory and transphobic view to her writing about toilet paper.
I’d be interested to see what Mainland thought about LGBT communities who are imprisoned for holding rainbow flags, wearing stickers, or speaking out in public. If Mainland and others who supported Betsy DeVos’ support for “religious liberty” were serious about prohibiting discrimination, she might consider demanding changes in the way HUD and DOJ conduct service areas and enforce LGBT rights.
I’m sorry to say that Mainland didn’t learn much from my feminist experiences. But I’m sure she’ll be happy to share a lot of sexist comments she received in private.