Gay rights group riled by tampon makers’ sex ed books

The youth arm of Sweden’s largest gay rights group has expressed fury at educational material distributed by two major tampon manufacturers.

The two companies, Libresse and OB, are accused by RFSL Ungdom of providing teachers with sex education material that “reinforces offensive norms and opinions”.

One of the books indicates that, for young people, the idea of being homosexual “is enough to send a shiver down their spine.” There is also a passage that states: “If you are a Muslim, you may not be allowed to have a girlfriend or boyfriend”.

In another section, Muslim girls concerned that they might not bleed on their wedding night are advised to contact a gynecologist who can sew stitches in their vaginal opening.

“Libresse and OB ought to be ashamed of themselves for giving out material that is so heteronormative and in many ways racist,” said Felix König, chairman of the youth faction of RFSL, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, in a statement.

The two makers of women’s hygiene items have pooled their resources to compile sex education material for pupils aged 13-14 and 15-16.

RFSL Ungdom said it believed the two educational packages produced by the companies ran counter to laws protecting Swedish schoolchildren from exposure to offensive material.

“We hope all schools that have distributed this material gather it back in and throw it away. Pupils shouldn’t have to read offensive opinions. We are also going to contact Schools Minister Jan Björklund,” said Felix König.