Twitter Trolls Hurled Abuse At A Guardian Journalist After She Tweeted A Question About Tampons
Jessica Valenti received a stream of insults for more than 24 hours (some NSFW language).
When Guardian US columnist Jessica Valenti tweeted an innocuous question about subsidised tampons, she probably wasn't expecting a torrent of furious abuse in reply.
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Nevertheless, that's exactly what happened. For the next 24 hours Valenti received a stream of vitriol criticising her appearance, her anatomy and her politics. Many were recommending that she get a real job, a hysterectomy, or married so that her husband could pay for her tampons ("as long as your [sic] putting out").
In the UK, tampons are taxed and are classed as "non-essential" items by the HMRC. Some people agree with this; others are petitioning for the tax to be lifted.
However, Valenti did not reference any of this in her original tweet. All she asked was:
"Anyone know a country where tampons are free or somehow subsidized?"