Sexism

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Abiogenisis's avatar
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This is a question to any female watchers here, inspired by this comic: sailorswayze.tumblr.com/post/3….

I would like to hear first or second hand stories of sexism you have encountered within fandoms, wether at conventions, among friends, in public or online. Particularly, problems related to males assuming women are so called 'fake nerd girls', or unwanted attention or comments experienced by female cosplayers.
© 2012 - 2024 Abiogenisis
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darling's avatar
There are a lot of good points made in these comments. I'm a female who enjoys playing video games, is majoring in a physical science, plays sports, and also happens to love fashion, wear makeup, and indulge in trash TV. There are a lot of traditionally "male" and "female" hobbies that I participate in frequently, and I've found that can cause just as much trouble.

A lot of girls I know who consider themselves "geeks" or "tomboys" sneer at things they think are too girly. I used to be a bit like this when I was younger, but I now realize it was due to an intrinsic need to conform to other people's ideas of what I should be like if I am going to indulge in traditionally male hobbies. Women face a lot of pressure not only to be feminine, but to not indulge in their femininity if they want to be taken seriously in male-dominated fields.

It is a common joke on campus when a woman shows up for a programming class, or a math class, or an advanced physics course. If she dresses in skirts and wears makeup, she isn't taken seriously in her studies but is still sexually objectified by the men around her; either being white-knighted or approached with condescension.

But if she is not dressed up, she is taken as "one of the guys" and isn't considered a woman. You can have a class full of men with a few female "non-lookers," and guys will still consider this class to be full of men. Those women are pressured to adhere to the hivemind of the male student body, and I've seen them often develop complexes where have their share of insulting other more girly-girls by calling them "attention-whores" or "sluts". If these women do not agree with men in those assessments, she is seen as a killjoy, oversensitive, and a bitch.

It's a frustrating place to be in. I've developed the confidence to assert my own beliefs and opinions, and the men I hang around with often come from privileged perspectives but quickly realize that I do not tolerate any sort of disrespectful behavior. This has lost me friends in the past, but it has also given me the strength to continue being the person I feel I am on the inside, without reserve.

I agree with a lot of different things said for this discussion, I just also wanted to throw this in as well. The most vicious form of sexism today, in my opinion, is the creeping, insidious sexism that is taken for granted as inherent within our society. Men often don't understand how difficult it can be in that position, but women often develop the subconscious view point of "this is just how it is" which results in their own sexist behavior as they deride anyone who steps out of the social norm. A person making a sexist joke is being offensive, but I find it even more offensive when someone decides to invalidate my feelings by acting like it is my fault for not behaving the way they expect me to.