“What would happen if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not?” With this question posed at the outset of her famous essay If Men Could Menstruate, Gloria Steinem imagined a society in which men would make periods an “enviable, worthy, masculine event.” Rather than being seen as an embarrassment or something to hide, “that time of the month” would become a sign of courage in patriarchal societies, she argued. Scientists would prioritize researching the origin of stomach cramps This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-One Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 31 Sob Story A taxonomy of tears. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Paapa Essiedu The British stage star steps onto a new platform. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Amia Srinivasan Amia Srinivasan on the philosophy of sex. Arts & Culture Issue 43 David Erritzoe On the mind-bending potential of psychedelics. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Space Invaders Room dividers from a Roman studio. Arts & Culture Issue 43 Study: Tricks of the Mind The cognitive processing errors that shape us all.
