Nurse Suspended After Homophobic, Transphobic Facebook Rant

Always' new gender-inclusive maxi pad packaging made one Cincinnati nurse so angry that she risked her coins to double down on homophobia and transphobia.

Cindy Carter was placed on administrative leave from Bethesda Butler Hospital after calling LGBTQ+ people "fucking c*ck sucking homos" and railing against trans and nonbinary people on a Facebook post about Always removing the Venus symbol from packages.

"Fuck 'Always.' This country has gone to complete shit," Carter wrote. "Women have periods, men don't. Why do certain applications ask for LEGAL sex... You're either male or female. There's no fucking in between."

After one commenter agreed, Carter continued with her rant. "I swear, these fucking c*ck sucking homos think they deserve everything. And the confused women are just as bad. Men need to be men. Women need to be women."

The comments caught fire after one woman took screenshots and identified Carter as an employee within the TriHealth network of hospitals. That got the attention of the Cincinatti's first openly gay councilman, Chris Seelbach, who told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he wouldn't be satisfied until the hospital fired Carter.

He initially responded to the controversy in a post that called for a boycott.

"As an LGBTQ+ person, I don't feel comfortable ever using TriHealth's services until I know a person who thinks I'm a '(expletive)' would ever treat me," Seelbach wrote Sunday night. "Until TriHealth terminates the employment of Cindy Carter, I will not be using their services."

In a statement, TriHealth said the nurse was placed on administrative leave "for her safety and for the safety of our patients" as they continue investigating the situation. The hospital network's chief executive officer also sent an email to all employees on Monday, saying the company believes in access to care for all people and has a responsibility to spread uplifting messages of unification and equality.

"And when we say everyone, we mean EVERYONE is entitled to safe, reliable and compassionate care and access to healthcare - no exceptions!" Mark Clement wrote, touting the hospital's LGBTQ+ employee group and the company's involvement in the local Pride Parade.

Always announced recently that they'd update their packaging to reflect the reality that cisgender women aren't the only people who have periods. In a move that angered some feminist activists, the company will remove the Venus symbol -- which has long signified female sex -- from the product's wrapping.

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