People writing first name basis letters to editors seems like a pretty minor, probably unnecessary issue. IMO, thinking of that through a feminist lens is a bit of a stretch, because men are definitely referred to by their first name too in letters like that. (I'm not the best example. It's bad that referencing people by their last names bothers me...I'd do that to either gender.)
It just seems like in my world, I don't really experience a lot of sexism. I think the scales are as equal as they've ever been?
It's not sexist to think sexism isn't much of a deal. Some people don't experience it...because a lot of the time the people on either extreme are people we don't know (it's uncomfortable to be around people extremely biased in either way) It can be a difficult thing to try and figure out if it's beneath the surface which it often is. Sometimes people overanalyze and overcompensate and leap on everything as being sexist. People argue that happens with racism too. I don't think sexism doesn't exist...I just have the sneaking suspicion that it's been coloring a lot of people's judgment around me. Which is weird, because I'm in art school, and I assumed it wouldn't be an issue at all.
What tends to get attention is when people are at either extreme—extremely sexist or extremely against it. A lot of people I know aren't sexist at all. Some people think it's a culture thing or about how kids are raised or something. I just know a lot of the extremes are around me right now and it's stressing me out because I seriously can't do anything about it. They just dismiss anything I say as biased bc it brings the issue up.
The scales probably are as equal as they've ever been. Probably not as equal as they could get, since there's still the whole glass ceiling thing, not to mention the government's predominantly male status (at the same time—I hate when people leap on the opportunity to even things out, and want to elect officials just because of their gender/race/etc, as opposed to their skills and ideas
conundrum.) and in general, men earn a bit more, without bringing the whole full-time-vs-part-time-bc-children argument. Not to mention the cultural difference in standards of appearance, etc. But I wish things like paychecks could be solved indiscriminately, and actual problems worked out instead of some outrage over calling the PM 'Julia'.
Sorry...long explanation...and anyone replying—I really don't want to argue about difference in pay/glass ceiling/art school kids/whatever. Please. I don't need that right now. That's why I purposely didn't go into all that in detail.
How noble of you!
