The ultimate Bwipo crash course on menstruation: an informational guide
League of Legends FlyQuest top-laner Gabriël ‘Bwipo’ Rau recently contributed to discussions around equality in esports. Did he do so by finding ways to support women’s esports scenes? Highlighting some of the incredible women working in esports? No.
He claimed that women should not play League of Legends while they are on their period. In doing so, he has, however, prompted vital industry conversation.
So, here is the ultimate Bwipo crash course on menstruation, from the women’s esports community.
Bwipo Rule Number 1: Women can’t play competitive League of Legends on their period
First of all, the ultimate Bwipo crash course on menstruation must start by understanding precisely what nuggets of incredibly valuable information (intended to be read sarcastically) Bwipo has shared on his platform.
On his livestream, Bwipo declared the following to 32,094 viewers: “When a woman is on the wrong time of the month to play competitively… there’s a time of the month where you should not be f*cking playing competitive games as a woman, this is my opinion”
Ironically, it appears as though his stream was titled, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Here lies rule number 1 in Bwipo’s menstruation crash course: according to the League of Legends player, “strength does not come from physical capacity.” However, if you’re a woman, your monthly period apparently does impact your ability to play a video game.
Corrected Rule Number 1: Women can do whatever they want to do
Iconic esports presenter, host, and interviewer Eefje ‘Sjokz’ Depoortere confronted Bwipo with the poignant question, “What do you think women do?”
As many individuals in the League of Legends community have, let’s examine what women CAN do on their period (other than playing video games).
In the UK, 88.6% of the 342,104 nurses and health visitors in the NHS (National Health Service) are women. 77.6% of the 172,267 scientific, therapeutic, and technical staff in the service are also women.
In fact, 76.7% of the 1.3 million individuals working in the NHS overall are women. (Statistics from 2021, via NHS England.) The entire health service of a nation is, in fact, held up by a majority female workforce.
If women can be the majority group upholding a national health service, surely they have the emotional stability to play a game of League of Legends.
Bwipo Rule Number 2: Men can dictate how women experience their periods if they live with a woman
After his female-directed comments on what he called “their monthly cycles,” Bwipo helpfully clarified, “I’ve lived with one for a while” (a singular woman with her own unique experiences). This was apparently the basis for his fountain of immaculate knowledge.
This is Bwipo’s rule number 2: If you live with a woman, you have enough knowledge of the female experience to declare that no woman should be playing competitive League of Legends if she is in the midst of her period.
Her period, of course, is a cycle that she has likely been experiencing since her teenage years, and has studied and learned to adjust to over a long period of time. Perhaps something she even tracks, has spoken to doctors about, and has consistently overcome.
Clearly, in his expert opinion, from living with one woman recently, all women become emotionally unstable on their period, making them incapable of playing League of Legends properly.
Corrected Rule Number 2: Women are unique individuals with their own unique experiences
Surprisingly, what Bwipo helpfully labelled as “The wrong part of the month” is very different for individual women.
There is a long list of symptoms identified by scientists (studied in clinical, scientific research) that can be experienced during a woman’s period. Mood swings, which appeared to be the focus of Bwipo’s comments, are one potential symptom.
Other symptoms include cramps, tiredness, back pain, headaches, nausea, sickness, bloating, appetite changes, and severe pain, amongst many others.
Actually, there are so many possible symptom combinations that women often use menstrual trackers to identify which they experience most frequently, and when they occur. This allows women to adjust. They can better prepare for and manage their symptoms.
Funnily enough, after hundreds of thousands of years of menstruation, women have been remarkably good at adapting and finding ways to cope.
Regardless, however a woman experiences her “wrong part of the month” (which is, of course, not wrong, and completely natural), it is not the business of a man to dictate what she can or cannot do.
Bwipo Rule Number 3: Always apologise after completely misrepresenting the issue of menstruation, don’t think before you say it
Following backlash from the esports community, FlyQuest and Bwipo both issued apologies.
FlyQuest acknowledged that their player had “made sexist comments” and used the opportunity to highlight their own women’s teams under the FlyQuest RED program.
They confirmed that they will be suspending Bwipo from his next game. His event prize money will be donated to causes supporting women in gaming.
Bwipo’s apology was more succinct. Admitting that his comments were “ignorant and disrespectful to women, including those close to me,” he stated that he will be “taking steps to reflect, listen, and do better.”
With only one game off, some prize money withheld, and an immediate return to competition with intact salary seemingly confirmed, there are few consequences for the pro player.
Here lies Bwipo’s rule number 3: don’t think before you say it, just accept the consequences after and continue to enjoy your position of influence accompanying your career regardless.
Corrected Rule Number 3: Respect women from the start
Amidst the jokes, reactions, and commentary around Bwipo’s comments, there is one essential consideration.
In a TikTok responding to Bwipo, sjokz very appropriately acknowledged, “I don’t think that it is our [women’s] duty to have to educate someone on something.”
It is not women’s responsibility to educate men on issues they fail to research and comprehend before making damaging public comments. However, it is men’s responsibility to listen when women do educate.
Vitally, these are all conversations that already exist in esports. Misogyny and sexism are not new. Any woman working in esports and gaming can likely verify from experience.
These lessons already exist. Women are forced to regularly regurgitate the lessons for those who didn’t listen the first time around.
Why do these conversations about women in esports matter so much?
There is still a long journey to achieving positive conditions for women in esports.
Additionally, there have been many significant setbacks in this journey, from comments like Bwipo’s emboldening other damaging opinions to fake or performative activism and pushback.
For example, one individual commented on reports surrounding Bwipo’s comments to liken a woman being on her period to having a “behavioural disorder.”
Interestingly, a commenter in Bwipo’s livestream chat decided to raise what they describe as “the skill issue.” Specifically, the commenter refers to “when a female team got destroyed in the Russian league.”
For those who may not have come across this story, the all-female Russian League of Legends team Vaevictis Esports lost 52-2 in the LCL, which led to immediate questioning as to whether the initiative was just an unfair publicity stunt.
The organisation Vaevictis described the project as an “experiement.” Young players with minimal professional experience were thrown into a competitive league that they knew was unsuitable.
Arguably, much of the “experiment” was due to Riot’s impending franchising, which made the organisation believe it was its only opportunity to try.
Vitally, this happened in 2019. Many other fantastic programs have been established by women and for women since then. Women have coached, managed, and played competitively.
To mention only one example, Christine ‘potter’ Chi coached a pro Valorant team to VCT Champions victory. Then, she won Esports Coach of the Year 2023 by the Esports Awards.
The minimisation of women must end.
Yes, Bwipo. “Competition isn’t going to schedule around your period.” But menstruation has not stopped the women’s esports movement.
Those who read and understand this guide will know that it never will.
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