Oregon gubernatorial candidate rips 'Menstrual Dignity Act' as an 'implosion of the family'
Bridget Barton, Republican gubernatorial candidate for Oregon, discusses the consequences of her state's 'Menstrual Dignity Act.'
Oregon's Republican gubernatorial primary race is heating up, and key issues are moving to the fore. Among them ranks a key social issue that has worked its way into the restrooms of all school-aged boys and girls across the state.
The "Menstrual Dignity Act," signed into law by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown last year, sparked controversy by mandating that all public schools across Oregon supply menstrual product dispensers in both boys' and girls' restrooms regardless of age.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bridget Barton.
Fox News Digital spoke with GOP gubernatorial candidate Bridget Barton on Monday to dig deeper into this controversial issue that she says she is not afraid to stand up against.
"This is an absolute implosion of the family; it's a violation of the family," she said, lamenting the onslaught of LGBTQ+ rhetoric in elementary schools.
OREGON'S ‘MENSTRUAL DIGNITY ACT’ REQUIRES SCHOOLS TO PLACE FEMININE PRODUCTS IN BOYS' BATHROOMS
sanitary tampon and towel - beauty treatment (iStock)
"It's very confusing for children, and then, when they hit puberty, they have even more confusion about their bodies and have real difficulty understanding what's going on in their world, a lot of them go into depression, they act out, and we're seeing more and more evidence that is causing kids to become confused, depressed, and to have to act out and have very serious problems going forward," she added.
Barton went on to emphasize the mental health consequences of the act and said the issue could pick up steam and become a concern for parents and school systems nationwide in the future.
"We're sort of the tip of the spear here in Oregon and what happens here on the left coast almost always starts drifting back," she said, adding "it comes from the two coasts and sort of meets in the middle."
Barton relayed the immense disdain she witnessed from parents across her state – not only with the "Menstrual Dignity Act," but from what she labels as a "radical leftist agenda."
A view of a gender neutral bathrooms at Miraloma Elementary school in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, September 2, 2015. (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
When asked about the feedback she has received from parents concerning the act, Barton said the word "complaints" does not capture the full extent of the outrage.
"'Complaints' doesn't even begin to describe it, and a lot of them haven't even heard yet about all this background stuff that the teachers are going to be forced to teach in sex ed classes, in health classes. I'm hearing from parents everywhere who say it's almost beyond belief," she said.
ACLU CALLS FOR TAMPONS IN MEN'S ROOMS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ‘MENSTRUAL EQUITY’
"They're in shock. They're in disbelief. They're angry. They are exiting the schools as fast as they possibly can, and Oregon has literally run out of room in private schools, charter schools and other options for kids that want to get out."
Barton emphasized her state's education crisis, reflecting on Gov. Brown's suspension of all graduation standards. She also reiterated parents' urgency to move their children to private schools to avoid the alleged indoctrination.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown speaks at the state capital building in Salem, Oregon, February 20, 2015. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola )
"Perhaps more than 30,000 students left the public schools last year and, of course, the left will tell you that it's because of the pandemic," she said.
"The truth is, it's both the pandemic and very much about the indoctrination that's happening in the schools. Every private school in the state has a waiting list a mile long, and you just have to feel very bad about the families who cannot afford to escape. They're the ones left behind."
Barton also expressed the measures she is taking to push back against the leftist agenda in the state, including the "Menstrual Dignity Act."
"I've already filed an appeal at the Oregon Court of Appeals to stop this mandate, to do a legal review and put a stop to the mandates to put tampons in the little boys' bathrooms," she said.
"But, B, there's a significant part of this that was written into the rules, and that is that the teachers are being forced to provide transsexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer lessons to all these children, so they understand about the menstrual products in their bathrooms. That was part of the rulemaking as well," she added.
"We need a governor who's not part of that political class and is an outsider like me to step in, and I have. I filed that appeal last Friday, and I stand behind it."
"Someone said, ‘is, is this grandstanding?’ I said 'No, it is not. It's called leading.'"
Other candidates have sounded off on the contentious act, including Dr. Bud Pierce, who blasted his state's leadership for spending nearly $6 million of taxpayer money to "confuse and control" children, and labeled the move as "another example of how backward and nonsensical Salem insiders have become."
"Our public K-12 education system is failing our children and diminishing their futures, and believe me, well-stocked bathrooms are not the issue. As governor, I’ll empower parents. We’ll focus on actually teaching students and make sure that the money follows the child. This is another stark reminder that it’s time to focus on education, not indoctrination," Pierce said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Current Sandy, Oregon Mayor Stan Pulliam – another gubernatorial primary candidate – emphasized that schools and lawmakers need to focus on academic standards instead of gender rhetoric.
"If they put the same effort into graduation standards as they have accommodated the delusional idea that boys menstruate, our kids might have a chance," he said.
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Pulliam's team said that he has been vocal on the issue for months.