Stop Asking Women if They’re PMSing

Or on their period or in the middle of an “emotional time”

Unsplash

“Geez — what are you, PMSing or something?” My older brother’s voice filtered through the phone.

He’d chosen to call me after a particularly rough day — not only was I saddled with coursework and an impending deadline for a freelancing gig, but one of my friends had decided it was the perfect time to host her own pity party.

My brother called to ask me a technical question he could’ve Googled, and I wasn’t in the mood to be patient.

I was frustrated, grouchy, and one more issue away from screaming into a pillow — but I wasn’t PMSing. I was just another person in a prickly mood after a bad day.

My brother’s first instinct was to assume that my anger had to do with my hormones rather than an overwhelming day or stressful week. He’s not the first person to do this — for as long as I can remember, female anger (whether it be my own or someone else’s) has been met with one question: is she on her period or something?

Asking women if they’re PMSing demeans their anger

Picture it: Susie’s boss, Robert, calls a meeting to discuss company policy changes. Susie has serious concerns about some of these policies…