@Frain said:
@Vampir:
I just think that we live in a place now where you can speak up.
If somebody mentioned something about there being a "vagina in the room" you can tell them that something like that offended you, and if that doesn't work you can always take it higher up. I suppose the problem is that some women think that because it's a male dominated industry they can't speak up. If anything, these women need to know that they have the power to stop it, just like you said, a lot of men don't realize they're saying sexist things, but if these women would tell them that I'm sure those people would re-examine what they said. I don't think there needs to be a special "woman" rule, that'd be terrible, and incredibly sexist. I just think that any woman who hears something that offends them should actually tell the person who said those things, and if they get lippy or sexist you can just take it higher up. Holding onto it and posting it on twitter does nothing to solve the problem, again, another good twitter movement would be revealing to women in the work place that they do have the power to stop any sexism pointed their way by simply speaking up. Being surrounded by males may seem oppressive on the surface, but we don't all think the same, and I'm sure the majority of us will hear you out.
It should be true that we live in a place where you can speak up, but it's not always the case. There have already been some reports of people involved in the hash-tag having backlash at work for what they posted. The "you can always take it higher up" argument assumes a sympathetic higher up. In the tweet I referenced, "vagina in the room" was something yelled in front of other coworkers, boss included. When something like that seems to be the accepted culture of the office, speaking up can seem risky. It might resolve the issue, but it also might stir up trouble and put your job in danger. I agree that people should feel more free to speak up about these things, but I think sharing these stories and getting more and more voices in support works toward that goal. I also don't think victims should be the only ones who should have to speak up. Silence is complicity.
There definitely shouldn't be a special "woman" rule, but I don't think anyone is suggesting that.
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