Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly reinforced the nickname, as well as Chaiya Raichik, the published a photo on her X-account Libs of Tiktok of a tampon dispenser in the toilet with the caption: “This happened in the boys’ bathroom at an Oregon school after Oregon passed laws similar to Tampon Tim requiring tampons in boys’ bathrooms.” Donald Trump’s campaign team was also involved in the gossip. Campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Fox News that “there is no greater threat to a woman’s health than politicians … who support the introduction of tampons in men’s restrooms in public schools.”
But as it turns out, no one had actually done any research before trumpeting the transphobic conspiracy to the world—not even a simple Google search for the actual text of the law. In fact, the wording of the Minnesota law offers “significant flexibility” in its implementation and does not specify which restrooms the product should be placed in, the Star-Tribune. “This could mean making these products available free of charge in different locations for anyone who needs them, such as unisex toilets, girls’ toilets, the school nurse’s office or the office of the school secretary, but not necessarily in boys’ toilets.”
Minnesota is far from the only state offering such support to support an economic phenomenon called “Period poverty,” which forces young girls to skip school or leave school if they or their families cannot afford menstrual products. Under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio has allocated $5 million in funding for a nearly identical program to Minnesota’s in its schools. Alabama and Georgia have created grants for access to menstrual products, while other states such as Washington, Nevada, Illinois and Utah continue to require their schools to provide the products even if they do not receive state funding, according to the tribune.
