The Importance of Gender Inclusivity at Casa de la Luna

Casa de la Luna is a company aiming to serve all different kinds of people, Yes, you, too! We will not hold any biases or judgment towards your sexuality, gender, race, ethnicity, or class. CDLL wants to make sure that all people are included in this journey of providing holistic period products, intimacy care, and feminine hygiene.

We live in a world where gender and sexuality is seen as black and white. You’re either straight or gay, male or female, and you’re either a woman or you’re not. These cultural notions of what is and what is not gender can complicate self-expression to those who do not fall in between these categories. As I grow into adulthood, I am grateful that my generation is much more open-minded and accepting when it comes to how you present yourself to the world. In my parents day and age, being fluid was simply not acceptable. With the teachings of religion, and judgment from others, it was hard to express your identity if you did not look or act like what society perceived you as. Within the past 20 years, our society has become more and more open about gender. Terms like gender nonconforming, nonbinary, 2 spirited, queer, femme, masc, have become more widely used among folks who do not chose to identify with being either male or female. This goes for sexuality as well. What once used to be either straight or gay- there are also now several terms for people to identify with in terms of their sexual preferences. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Asexual, Pansexual and others, are only to name a few. It’s important to remember that human beings are constantly evolving, and these terms that one can identify with can change on a daily basis. Intersectional identities is a crucial concept that needs to be considered when serving period products, sexual feminine hygiene, and maternity related needs.

Even the concept of a “baby shower” merely focuses on the mother and the birth of the unborn child, with rarely including the father and parents as a unit. The new idea of having a “parent shower” is much more inclusive and appreciates the family as a whole, and this allows gathering to be focused less on gender, and more on the celebration of a new life. I’ve attended countless baby shower gatherings, where guests will show up with gendered gifts for the baby. Blue trucks for boys, pink dresses for girls, and several other toys/items that specifically deal with the gender and sexual orientation of the baby. But the question that always runs through my mind is, how do we know that the child will want to identify with the gender they are born with? As someone who’s been a Kindergarten/Elementary school educator, children are constantly learning about themselves and their gender expression. It’s unfortunate that children are thrown into a world without any say of how they’d like to express themselves. The idea of a “parent shower” would be much more open-ended, and give the parents the opportunity to let their child be gender-fluid until they believe they are of age to self-identify.

Casa de la Luna is open to serving all of these different kinds of communities and individuals. There should be no shame in the many different walks of life we’ve experienced, because that is what makes us unique in our power. Providing resources to not only women, but those who identify with other genders, is one of our main goals. Feel free to find comfort and solitude in our space where we hope to show all people that period products and feminine/sexual hygiene needs to be openly accessible to everyone.