Linda B. Rosenthal

Periods aren't a luxury. Why are they taxed like one?

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About Linda B. Rosenthal

Manhattan Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal is a leading advocate on gender and menstrual equity issues in New York. Linda has passed more than 75 laws to improve the lives of all New York State residents, including a ban on the “tampon tax,” which eliminated the tax on menstrual hygiene products statewide. She is the prime sponsor of legislation to provide menstrual hygiene products free in the state's prisons, shelters and schools. In addition to her legislative achievements for gender equity, Linda has increased funding for the state’s rape crisis centers and support to runaways and homeless youth, proposed historic legislation for safer consumption sites, and secured a significant funding increase for addiction prevention, education, treatment and recovery. Linda leads the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and is a member of the Committees on Agriculture; Education; Health; Housing; and Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.

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About This Talk

Manhattan Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal didn’t set out to be a period rights activist. But when she learned that menstrual hygiene products weren’t worthy of tax-free status, but that fruit roll-up snacks were, she made it her mission to eliminate the “tampon tax.” Watch Linda’s 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about her work to bring menstrual health into the mainstream of public dialogue.

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