David Pakman Discord Server: the Stigma of a Woman's Period

The issue of menstrual stigma came to light for me after recent events on the David Pakman Discord server. This page provides some insight into the general culture and attitudes towards the topic of female menstruation, as revealed by that Discord. The David Pakman Discord server is publicly available for fans of the show, but most strikingly, it is comprised in significant (but not entire) proportion of cis-gendered males. Posts and opinions are public. 

Our goal is to educate by providing an unfiltered window into the discourse surrounding this topic. We aim to foster awareness and encourage reflection; this project is offered without accusation, serving only as a resource for education and discussion.

See screenshots
Menstruation

Comment about an Asian woman

A user, sleyece, labels the original female poster as “an Asian woman who writes articles talking about her bodily fluids in detail” to dismiss the conversation.

The attitude towards female menstruation demonstrated by David Pakman's Discord Server:

The need to end menstrual stigma becomes undeniable when you see how it manifests in real conversations. It's seeing a woman casually mention her period to be met with "STOP" and a decisive, immediate mute, thereby silencing her. She encounters enduring sarcasm and hostility, being labelled as "gross entitled shitposting", among more reactions. By treating a natural process as a source of shame, it damages a woman's personal dignity and well-being. We must end this stigma through open education and empathy to build a more equitable society where no one is held back by their body.

Anatomy of the Incident

The central incident began when one of the few female users on the David Pakman Discord server made a single, simple post about her upcoming menstrual period. This one comment triggered a cascade of extreme and exaggerated reactions. It was immediately met with hostility from users; a moderator silenced her. More than one user, including a moderator, labelled the post as "gross". Comments and controversy arising from this single post have persisted even after one year. The topic has become a server-wide controversy. The user chrisdnd, in particular, apparently takes issue with female menstruation.

Initial reaction to period post
The original "period" post is met with "Bruh" from two users, b1gxb3n ("Pope Ben Dover LXIX") and biffwebster ("Big Law Biff"). The latter is an attorney, practising in the area of public defence; he publicly parades around Discord presenting himself as a licensed, practising attorney, in the State of Minnesota.
User calling periods gross
The user/moderator, brogon, equates discussing one's menstrual cycle to being "gross".
Moderator mute reason
A moderator mutes the original poster for sharing "graphic details" of her menstrual cycle.
Post labeled as gross shitposting
The discussion is labeled by chrisdnd as "gross, entitled shitposting/flamebaiting."
Questioning the extreme detail
About one year after the initial post, chrisdnd compares it to men describing their genitalia in "extreme detail".
User reaction
chrisdnd reacts with "What is wrong with some peoplem jesus christ", following the intiail post, whihle others variously comment with "dang", "RIP..." and "[t]his feels anti woman"..."
Period relegated to vaginal discharge
In response to a user mentioning she was muted for discussing her period, the moderator brogon sarcastically retorts by reducing the topic to "detailed descriptions of the sights and smells of your vaginal discharge," highlighting the use of derogatory and shaming language.
talking about her period in detail Period in graphic detail
A former moderator, lococubano, clarifies the reasoning: the user was muted for "repeatedly talking about her period... in detail".
Sarcastic denigration of the original poster
The original poster is denigrated as "that woman who kept talking about her discharge in detail" by lococubano.
a reaction of shock and revulsion at the thought of menstrual fluid
Now more than one year after the initial incident, chrsisdnd now reacting with a GIF to denote his shock and revulsion at the original poster allegedly describing the "distinct odor" of menstruation, after sleyece claims that the original poster did so.

The (Alleged) Double Standard

Screenshot about disproportionate banning of women
This exchange highlights a perceived double standard. The comment notes that women face swifter and harsher consequences.
Screenshot calling to ban women
A user sarcastically highlights the perception that women are disproportionately banned by moderators.
Screenshot calling to ban women
The sarcastic commentary continues, with a user noting, "We are banning women at an incredible rate."
Screenshot calling to ban women
This user's sarcasm implies moderators ignore harassment while banning others for minor infractions.
Screenshot calling a woman a whore
A user resorts to misogynistic slurs.
A woman being harasseded and harassment going unmoderawoman-harassment-unmoderated
A user recalls the repated and enduring harassment of the initial, female poster which the moderators allowed to persist for months..

Exaggeration and Targeted Shaming

The source material also highlights how the initial incident was exaggerated to extreme lenghts. For example, yet again, chrisdnd suggests the original one post is comparable to discussing "all body fluid topics 24/7." This is presented as an example of the bad-faith arguments used to justify the treatment of the initial poster. Others mockingly refer to those defending the original poster as "menstrual warriors."

Screenshot of ChrisDnD's comment
A user, ChrisDnD, is highlighted for exaggerating the original poster's point.
Screenshot of menstrual warriors comment
Users are mockingly called "menstrual warriors."
Screenshot of bodily fluids comment
The topic is again exaggerated to being at the level of "daily updates".

Unmoderated, Insightful Posts from Pakcord Server:

Note: One of the users shown, “PUNISHED GMAN – INJUSTICE”, was posting ironically in protest of the moderation team. He previously held a moderator position, but has since been “de-modded”. Some other posts may also contain sarcasm or irony. Nonethless, it’s often said there’s a “kernel of truth” in every joke.

A comment about a blow to the head A comment that says I think they deserve it A comment asking why you do not despise people who murder A comment about finding a woman to murder A comment about wanting women to be subjugated A comment about a man's role with babies A derogatory comment about someone's mother A crude comment about messaging women from college A comment discussing rape as a crime A comment about beating a woman Labelling a woman a

Links to Resource about Menstrual Cycles

*All posts on this page are publicly available and unaltered. 

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