Sensitive Circuit — thanks for commenting on my post!! i understand completely what you are saying - i know some people who speak acknowledging their own lack of understanding about the topic. of course this is understandable and acceptable - how can you expect a person to be 100% politically correct/aware when they know themselves they aren’t? however, what bothered me about my Stats professor was his obvious ridicule towards people who believe gender-portrayal as a choice. that’s what i thought was inappropriate.

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thanks for commenting on my post!! i understand completely what you are saying - i know some people who speak acknowledging their own lack of understanding about the topic. of course this is understandable and acceptable - how can you expect a person to be 100% politically correct/aware when they know themselves they aren't? however, what bothered me about my Stats professor was his obvious ridicule towards people who believe gender-portrayal as a choice. that's what i thought was inappropriate.

perhapsthisisabitmuch asked

No problem! I like reading what people have to say about these issues.

Unfortunately not everyone makes an effort to reach out and learn about these issues. To me feminism is a rational, egalitarian way of looking at the world and it disappoints me when people don’t see it that way. Through talking to people who aren’t acquainted with feminism I’ve realized that a lot of people are “blissfully ignorant”. Your stats professor may be so confused and ignorant that he didn’t know any better. The blissfully ignorant might come off as jerks to some people, but they don’t necessarily mean to be. Granted I wasn’t there to witness how ridiculous he was about it, but generally I think it’s worth trying to give people the benefit of the doubt until it’s made painfully clear that they’re intentionally being hurtful.

Pretend for a minute that in your entire life you only ever knew the word “gender” to mean “sex”. You’ve used the word this way for years and years and it’s always seemed to work and make sense. In fact, even the printed text books you use to teach students reaffirm in your mind that “gender” means “sex”. Now suppose somebody comes up to you during a lesson where the material printed in black and white is called into question because of it’s use of “gender” over “sex”. They point out that the book really means “sex” because “gender” is something different.

I don’t know about you, but my first thought would be, “Huh? Clearly the editors would have gotten this right and I’ve known this word my whole life! This person is out of their mind!” It would seem utterly absurd! Until somebody gently sits me down, preferably in private to avoid embarrassment, and explains that many people distinguish between “sex” and “gender”, I’d be oblivious. Even worse, until somebody sets me straight I’d continue perpetuating the very notions that are bothering you.

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