What an incredible mess.
The row over the appointment of a man as Tayside’s first period dignity officer has gone full circle, with the role now having been axed following weeks of intense scrutiny locally, nationally and internationally.
To be clear: the man at the eye of this storm, Jason Grant, has done nothing wrong. He simply applied for a job in good faith.
The panel who conducted and advised on the recruitment process was all-female.
They obviously did not expect the backlash that was to come following Jason’s announcement in post, but surely that was naive in the least.
From the moment tennis legend Martina Navratilova made her views known about a man being in such a unique and sensitive role, the writing was on the wall.
The appointment was widely criticised on social media and, sadly, some keyboard warriors took the situation as as an opportunity to personally abuse and attack and belittle.
There is absolutely no justification for such behaviour.
But those behind the recruitment process do have serious questions (many of The Courier’s have been met with a wall of silence) to ask of themselves.
That is because their decisions set in train a series of events that managed to make a huge negative out of what should have been a major positive for this country.
Surely no-one can deny that providing free sanitary products to those who struggle to afford them is anything but a progressive and enlightened move.
But that narrative was lost in the row over Mr Grant’s appointment, a furore which to most casual observers would have seemed inevitable.
Now, as Mr Grant’s departure is announced and his groundbreaking role axed for good, the local Period Dignity Working Group find themselves fighting a rearguard action to claw back any credibility they once had.
It is a sad and rather pathetic sight and one that requires those responsible to reflect upon seriously.
Mr Grant has been badly let down.
But, and this is the most important point, so have thousands of women for whom this legislation is a lifeline.
There is much soul searching to be done.
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