Few of the most major instances of blatant sexism in my life:
– Got into an argument that turned pretty serious because I didn’t want to wear make up at school. My father suggested I should because “I should take more pride in myself and don’t you want to look pretty?” To this day it’s made me feel weird when I put make up on even if I want to because I remember feeling like its the only thing that makes me look attractive. I love my dad and he is a good person, but it still annoys me that he doesn’t see saying stuff like this as either sexist or a problem.
– At work (which was just me and the boss) a new work experience student, aged 18, comes and starts working with us. After getting to know her for a bit she explains she is bisexual with a girlfriend and we all have a nice chat about their relationship. After she leaves work that day (earlier than us as she had to stick to school hours) my boss turns to me and says “shame she’s got a girlfriend, means a guy like me could never get with her.” She is 18, he is over 50. Same boss had told me he goes to aerobics classes and stands at the back just to watch at an all female class (plus many other similar remarks). After the comments about work experience girl I’ve had enough so I tell him calmly that everything he says like that is inappropriate and as a response he tells me not to be so sensitive. He said i was overly sensitive every time I tried to counter a sexist comment, and it’s a phrase you can’t really win from – you argue and he says you’re really sensitive, you let it go and he thinks his point is proven. Lose/Lose.
– Went out for the night at uni, got to the bar and went to pay for my drink I’d just ordered when a guy shoves in front of me and buys it for me. I am polite, say thanks and head to leave when he insists as he bought my drink I owe him a kiss. I tell him I owe him nothing as it was his choice, and get shouted at that I’m just a frigid bitch.
– One day I asked my niece (at the time 7) what she wanted to be when she was older. “I wanted to be a cricketer but women don’t play cricket so I can’t do that”. Mum, sister, and me immediately all tried to find tickets to a woman’s cricket game just to show her that while it’s not seen on TV nearly as much, she can do any sport she wants. Now (aged 9) she is a part of a cricket team, and a good player too! Just very sad that the media already taught her that certain sports were for men only.
Sorry for the essay, these are just the stories that made me angriest/saddest when considering the “equal” world we supposedly live in.