Texas Legislature Inspires Twitter Hashtag #Tampongate

So the Texas legislature sez it's okay to carry guns but not tampons. 

Troopers thoroughly checked the bags of people entering the gallery, which holds almost 500 spectators. Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Rick DeLeon said no props — including speculums and coat hangers — would be allowed into the Senate gallery, per decorum rules. 

The Department of Public Safety said jars suspected to contain urine and feces were among the items that were confiscated. Officers also took paint, glitter, confetti and feminine hygiene products. 

The leader of the chamber’s Democrats, Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin, said he intervened to stop troopers from confiscating tampons from women seeking to watch the debate, but DPS did not confirm that.

I'm sure they would like a do-over, 

but it's be too little, too late.

Once poop is in the street it's hard 

to put it back into the elephant.  

==►Update: At some level this idiocy goes from the ridiculous to the sublime. But at least one older woman activist didn't find anything funny about it. Check out the story at the end.

Leah Krinsky ‏@krinsk513m
You can have my tampon when you pry it from my cold, dead vagina.#TamponGate

TechyDad ‏@TechyDad13m
Thanks to #TamponGate and #texasleg, I'm now wondering how accurately someone could toss a tampon. Might need to test this out.

Edmond Ortiz ‏@satscribe14m
Point of order! #Tampongate is not referred to in any Roberts Rules of Order/parliamentary guide book.

Erika Jurney ‏@ErikaJurney14m
One quick search tells me another reason why I love you, Twitter: http://zru.me/1ahU7Ct #TamponGate

Dan Schwab ‏@KeyToons14m
Ladies- tell the Texas Senate if they want to take your tampons they'll have to pry them from your cold, dead,...um...nevermind #TamponGate

FairFoodFight ‏@FairFoodFight14m
RT @hecate41: RT @SaraLang: I can't decide if #weaponsofmenstruation makes me want to laugh or cry, but I'm doing both. #tampongate

Raquel Amparo Stuart ‏@CBS11Raquel14m
My head is spinning from the impact twitter has had on the day's news & vice versa. #TamponGate #SharkNado. The game is changing...

Ann B. FLAW ‏@AnnBFlaw14m
Thou shalt shun concealed weapons before tampons for women need absorbency over firepower. Falopians 2:22 #Tampongate #RepublicansHateWomen

Emily Willingham ‏@ejwillingham14m
Sigh. Point tampons only at things you intend to MENSTRUATE, not menustrate, which sounds like a restaurant behavior. #tampongate

Liz McGuire ‏@lizmcguire14m
Maybe #TamponGate was just a mixup and Texas Senate thought they were mouse-in-a-telescope presents? http://youtu.be/wk5pO06BdSk?t=1m55s …


Ron Loren Pitts™ ‏@RonLPitts14m
#TxLege West Withdraws his point of Order (he can recall) good move the Rs don't really have an answer, but We can still debate #TamponGate

Katrina ‏@kandiappl614m
#txlege #tampongate~ women don't carry them 4 Ur use ,It's for theirs ..stop embarrassing yourselves.

Christopher ‏@Kyngkap4115m
Watching her was just beautiful. Now #TamponGate is heating up and still the repugnants don't care. Sure they... http://fb.me/2ax2NjRAz

Danine Spencer ‏@DanineSpencer15m
SO not ok for cops to confiscate people's food & water. What if you get low blood sugar or need to take food with meds? #TamponGate #TXLege

Wendy ‏@WH98515m
Did somebody try to organize a tampon ambush? Is that why the ban? Otherwise I don't get it. #tampongate

Sydney Grace ‏@Sydaney_Grace15m
Texas should reimburse every woman they confiscated feminine products from #tampongate

Patti Cook ‏@PCookCO16m
I am now convinced those men are thoroughly getting off to this. Disgusting. #tampongate

Shasta Merlot ‏@ShastaMerlot16m
So #TXLege has put the cherry on their crazy-top. Guns don’t kill ppl but watch out for killer tampons! #tampongate pic.twitter.com/fxl9GAdvbk

Huffington Post ‏@HuffingtonPost2h
UPDATE: Dangerous tampons now ALLOWED at Texas capitol. Watch out lawmakers! #tampongate #hb2 http://huff.to/1drURo9


Tampons Confiscated, Guns Still Allowed At Texas Capitol Ahead Of...
By Paige Lavender @paigelealav

UPDATE -- 4:43 p.m.: According to a tweet from Stand With Texas Women, the Department of Public Safety has stopped confiscating tampons and maxi pads. According to Burnt Orange Report, state Sen....
HuffPost Politics @HuffPostPol · Follow

Ms. Entropy ‏@MsEntropy17m
I'm finished with the rant on #TamponGate and #Texas. Sick of uncreative trolling. Feel free to scroll through previous tweets. Ridiculous.

JeffSharlet ‏@JeffSharlet44m
#tampongate for breaking news on Texas Senate's brave stand against those who wld use tampons to take away menstrual freedoms.

TheObamaDiary.com ‏@TheObamaDiary48m
---> MT @dpleasant Anyone with half a brain knows #tampongate wasn't done for security. Intended to be demeaning & is misogyny at its worst

TheObamaDiary.com ‏@TheObamaDiary49m
Gold medal ----> MT @DCPlod Jefferson did say tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with blood of patriots #TamponGate

GottaLaff ‏@GottaLaff1h
Okay, who leaked #Tampongate? #WentThere #bygones

BWD ‏@theonlyadult1h
This is so unfunny. #TamponGate

Robin ‏@caulkthewagon1h
Whatevs, real talk: I'm DELIGHTED that #txlege confiscated tampons and pads today because it shows their true objectives here. #tampongate

Emily L. Hauser ‏@emilylhauser1h
#tampongate shows how deeply anti-choice efforts reflect the ancient fear of women's blood & by extension our power. It's remarkable.

GottaLaff ‏@GottaLaff1h
So #Tampongate language was inserted into the bill?

GottaLaff ‏@GottaLaff1h
Only a good guy with a tampon can stop a bad guy with a tampon http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/07/12/19441556-only-a-good-guy-with-a-tampon-can-stop-a-bad-guy-with-a-tampon … v @MaddowBlog #Tampongate #StickEmUpWAYup #bygones

Charles Johnson ‏@Green_Footballs1h
Breaking: Texas legislature anti-abortion debate interrupted by sudden, freakish VAGINADO! #txlege #tampongate

UP Pastry Plate ‏@UPPastryPlate1h
There is no logic to #TamponGate It is all about power, rape culture. Analyzing it beyond that gives it legitimacy. #txlege

Charles Johnson ‏@Green_Footballs2h
Update: Under pressure, Texas GOP allows women to have tampons http://lgf.bz/18bIxIq #tampongate



Texas Senate Anti-Choice Debate: Tampons Confiscated, Guns Not a...
By Charles Johnson @Green_Footballs

At the Texas capitol today, where the state Senate is debating that regressive caveman anti-choice bill passed by the House a couple of days ago, state troopers are searching women and confiscating...
LittleGreenFootballs @LittleGreen1 · Follow
Robin ‏@caulkthewagon2h
Y'all get that they don't want us to menstruate because they want us perpetually pregnant, right? #tampongate

Lizz Winstead ‏@lizzwinstead2h
Technically #Tampongate is also a euphemism for #Vagina. #Txlege #sb1

Slate ‏@Slate2h

#FF @TexasObserver for news on #tampongate and other coverage of Texas's #HB2 abortion bill


Penny Holland ‏@Penny_Holland19 Jun
Just got in from work... So I guess I missed one then......#tampongate pic.twitter.com/nNUTlXFAMH



lola ‏@flightofthelola20 Jan
it's funny how people on facebook are disgusted by #tampongate whereas everyone on twitter is just finding it hilarious

This woman, however, was not amused. 

“In front of, all of these male troopers took away my maxi-pads, and made a huge deal out of flashing them around and showing… and then saying that I couldn’t go into the gallery, I couldn’t take maxi-pads into the gallery. I’ve never been… I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

Go to America Blog or Raw Story for details and the video. This is a big public relations failure on the part of Texas politicians.  The really sad part is that so many of them seem not to care.