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Sad but true story: my first year at the Naval Academy (1976) was the first year with women. Y’know how civilized restrooms have sanitary products? Yeah, the male engineers who added women’s facilities to the academic buildings never heard of that. Class uniforms had pockets (both sexes) but we weren’t allowed to have anything in them thicker than an ID card (what?). So my female classmates had to carry a purse in case they needed to change a tampon or pad between classes. And that was the ONLY time they needed purses, so needless to say there were snickers from the still-basically-boys midshipmen around them.
The situation was eventually resolved—by the women, who stashed supplies where needed for any woman who needed help.

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Jack Herlocker
Jack Herlocker

Written by Jack Herlocker

Husband & retiree. Author. Former IT geek/developer. I fill what’s empty, empty what’s full, and scratch where it itches. Occasionally do weird & goofy things.

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