A bloggy friend wrote about how she leads running groups, and is super well researched, really up on her stuff, but when she gives running advice to clients, some of them act indifferent to her advice and then...
turn around and drool like a freak and listen to…. you guessed it A MAN.
A man who has a penis and who is also older, so must be right.
Except not.
Just because I’m a young woman, does not make me any less deserving of respect and consideration. And it’s awful because there are people who are so wonderful and that I enjoyed coaching so so much who kind of acted like that with me and then they turn around and just gush about A MAN.
Because men are superior. And what bugs me is that it’s a lot of women who are doing this but they do it unconsciously. It’s extremely offensive to me. Not because I give a shit who listens to me or not. But because I give a shit that people automatically decide to listen to a man because he is of the male sex.
As I wrote in her comments, I've definitely had this working in bookstores. People assume that male employees know more about the Business section, and female employees know more about the Kids section.
This must happen in other industries? I vaguely recall my dad and step-mother having this frustration in the past (my dad can correct the details if I'm wrong). He was an airline pilot, and my step-mother flew private planes and instructed. Of course my dad's flown and instructed on small planes too, but at the time my step-mother was instructing and therefore up to date on the private scene more than my dad.
But they'd be talking to someone, Eg. at church, and they'd direct all their piloting questions to my dad. Even though everyone knew my stepmother was a pilot. Almost all her jewellery consisted of planes. Plane earrings, plane broaches, plane necklaces... . I think men did this more than women, but I could be wrong. My impression was the women thought Stepmommy's profession cool, and admired it.
...Probably doesn't help that my stepmother is beautiful, skinny, and dresses in a very "feminine" way with long painted nails, and long red hair, and make-up and frilly dresses and very put together outfits.
My dad has another weird thing that happens--people turn to him for leadership positions. He has no interest in leading projects, doesn't express this interest, prefers to act in support roles. But he's over 6 feet, broad shouldered, clean shaven, good looking... my dad's an Alpha Male (though he doesn't act like one). So people automatically think he should lead them. lol.
In her bomber jacket.
She flies birds these days.
Oh they must have been discussing flying when I took this.
Her Lady Adventurer look.
Have you guys had similar experiences?
3 comments:
Oh yes. And in casual situations when something "non-girly" was talked about. Luckily, I've often hung out with guys who would basically defer to me to answer, basically requiring the other person to deal with me, even if they found it frustrating.
It does suck.
But apparently the workforce in the US is now closing on 50% female. Sure, we still make less than the guys, but that should be changing with these numbers.
There's not a woman on the planet who hasn't!!!
@Skye - One can hope, one can hope.
@ Widder - Well, maybe not on OUR planet. The women on your book's planet probably run into it less often. ;-)
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