Why I’m No Longer Talking to Most Men About Sexism
Some of them just can’t handle the truth.
You know those times when you tell friends about the sexist behaviour you’ve experienced?
If your friends are women, they will probably nod sympathetically or roll their eyes in that “tell me about it” way. Men will be shocked and appalled but they will commonly phrase their reaction as, “I find it hard to believe anyone behaves like that.”
You hear their sympathy, but listen to what is really being expressed with that response: disbelief.
As a woman, I have been experiencing sexism since before I even understood what it was.
When we weren’t allowed to wear pants at school because our uniform dictated skirts for the girls and pants only for the boys.
When grown men thought it was okay to catcall a girl in her school uniform and laugh at her blushing and scurrying off to school at hyper speed, her skirt providing little security against the breeze.
It’s shocking to learn that sexism is still rife in our schools.
“The use of misogynist language is commonplace in schools.”
The above statement about misogynist language comes from a report about the…
