Have you ever been treated differently because of your sex?

You weren't reading too much into that situation, that's the norm. It's something that has always pissed me off and maybe I'm hyper-aware of it because of my gender but that doesn't make it 'better'.

Perfect example, is when I used to work as the cashier in the automotive shop department of Canadian Tire. I worked in that department for 3 years and was always talking to the shop boys and service advisors, usually about cars. After work I'd usually walk over to my buddy's fabrication studio, where he made custom car parts. We usually talked about cars. Because I love cars! Because my dad was a mechanic and took me to the race track every friday night every summer.

And yet, every time a customer questioned something about their car in front of me, and I'd answer, they said "I'll just ask [insert man here]." I can't even tell you how many people called the store saying they were coming in with a flat tire (as in, driving on the flat) and would not believe me when I told them you can't patch a flat you drove on. It was rare that anyone would even bother to hide the fact that they only didn't believe me because I am [preceived as] a girl.

And also the opposite. I've definitely received preferential treatment for it too, like when I told the above story to my Sociology professor and glided through her class for the rest of the semester (even showed up late to the exam).

 

I Have this female teacher at school who is quite sexists to guys. Two kids actually tested how sexist she really was. One kid was a grade higher then the other. The first kid was a girl and she did an essay for this teachers class and got an A-. Then the year after the other kid, who is a guy, handed in the exact same essay with the permission of the girl. He only got a B-. I know it isn't strong proof but it is an indicator.

 

True story:I went in to a lesbian bar in Chicago with a friend once just for giggles. They refused to serve us. At least the charming ladies giving us the evil eye didn't try to kick my our asses. We left peacefully and spent our $ where we were more welcome. It was good for a laugh.

 

I've seen some changes from when I was younger. The way that people talk to me, definitely. If I talk to a guy in real life who knows me as a guy, they're really cool with me where as before if I said a word to any guy it was like "ew get away from me" or "are you hitting on me?" and now it's a complete 180 from that.

 

Yes, before I knew I was trans, people would say things like:

''Girls don't do that.''
''You'd be more beautiful if you let your hair grow.''
''Why don't you wear a skirt?''
''I would have already hit you if you weren't a girl.''
''Are you (insert male friend here)'s girlfriend?''
''Are you a lesbian?''

Then, there was the passive stuff like guys not hanging out with me, the girls gossiping in my back, the rumors of me being lesbian and all that crap.

After transitioning, my opinion was more valued, I instantly became ''one of the guys'', the girls stopped talking about me and I was more perceived as asexual.

Now, being stealth, everyone asks me why I don't have a girlfriend, but my opinion has as much value as any other guy. Anyone who tells me being a girl doesn't get you treated differently has never lived it.

 

Yes, there is a difference between the way the treated me when I was presenting as female vs now.

 

Strongly yeah. My mom is like "why don't you put makeup? It's just great" even if for a little time she doesn't annoy me anymore. But sometimes people are like "you're a boy and you love frozen but why? It's a girl thing." And i'm like "you're kidding me".
I feel like guys can be more rude than women too. It's ugly when it comes from a girl. And girls have to smile, to be always well looking too. I'm tired of this bullshit, i'm telling you.

 

What's funny is as a guy, I'm perceived as older. When I was in drag, people would ask me all the time where my mother was and would usually ignore me in favor of talking to my mother or another family member. As a guy, people might ask me where I go to high school but that's it. I am asked for tech advice by strangers more though ("how do you get online here?? The wi-fi's not working! My email's all screwed up!" and I sometimes have to pretend I know about sports, but it's not a radical change, I don't think.

 

I'm sorry, but when I read the title of this thread I laughed a little. When it comes right down to it, there is not a single person in this world who HASN"T been treated differently because of their sex at least once in their life. And it's not even that people do it intentionally. But that's just how things are. Meh.

 

Well, I wouldn't say it had to be just because she was a woman... He thought you were the one in charge. If this was only because of your gender, I can't tell, I wasn't there... Non-verbal language is usually what drives us, and if you were calm and proactively listening, he might have just had the preference to focus on you, 'cause he thought that the message will be heard, or he just felt more comfortable talking to you... In my experience, females are not usually very assertive... And this is not my theory by the way, it comes from a woman, Amy Cuddy

Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are | Talk Video | TED.com

Now there is also some mysoginistics fools out there, and they can get specially nasty to females with long hair and make up, I'm not denying that. Some aspects of what we tend to associate with feminity (specially the visual aspects) are seen as weak/not trustworthy.

It's the same as when you have two guys : One is wearing a suit and a tie, and the other is wearing the very same suit, but he has a mohawk instead of a crew cut. Who do you think most of people will perceive as trustworthy?

Well, it has to do with someone having a fragile appearance : Small, not very muscular... I remember there was a guy on my class who was even thinner than me, and his mates were protective with him.

I'd say women earn less money, and need to push harder on male enviroments, but there are ways to get what they deserve/want. It's harder for them, but not impossible.

 

Well, obviously physical sex makes is a big deal to a lot of people, it's one of the first things everyone wants to know about babies, even though at that age it really doesn't matter unless you're giving them a bath or something.

Vodkabaret makes a good point ... body language can make a big difference. For instance, a lot of women will step back when they're with a man, and sort of turn towards him as if they're deferring to him. I won't speculate on why so many women do this, but I've seen it happen a lot, and when it happens people tend to speak to the man. I've also seen straight couples where the woman was obviously dominant (with the man using the same body language that the woman uses), and people naturally talk to her instead.

I honestly don't really know if I get treated differently solely because of my sex. Maybe I'm just too clueless to see it, or I'm in an environment where it doesn't make much difference, but for the most part I've rarely been in a situation where I couldn't change things by adjusting the way I act. There have been individuals who have treated me differently, but none of them have been in a position that really affected me.

Now, if I lived in a culture where women get flogged for going outside without a head covering or for talking to a strange man, I'd probably give you a different answer.

 

In fourth grade, there was a girl who hit me hundreds of times. One time at recess I hit her back. The teacher on duty did nothing but my parents gave me the "boys don't hit girls because girls are weaker" speech. I absolutely hate that rule and the arguments I've heard in favor of it.
Also in fourth grade, I was forced to kiss a bunch of girls at recess. Neither I nor the girls I kissed consented to it. The people who forced me to kiss them should've gotten in trouble but instead I was the only person who got in trouble and I went to the office.
BUT both situations could've been way worse (I heard there was a boy who got a permanent sexual harassment record for a similar incident) and these situations aren't as bad as some of those above me.

 

"Why do you dress like that? No boy will ever want you."
"Is it because you're a lesbian? Is that why you act like a boy?"
"Never learn to drive, women are terrible at it."
"Cooking and f**king, that's all women are good for."
"Useless girl"
"Bitch."
"Can't you just wear a dress for a change?"

There's a pretty weird thing I've noticed with the guys who I know as well. There is another girl who hangs out with them too, and we both like to think of ourselves as 'one of the guys', but sometimes, they say things like 'oh, you wouldn't know, you're a girl' or just completely dismiss us because 'we don't know sh*t'. (This is just about normal, everyday things that aren't specific to a gender, too.)
It's like they feel emasculated by us being there :/

 

I'm biologically female so I always get ridiculed and taunted because of what's in my pants. I get treated as if I'm weaker and all my emotions are based upon my monthly cycle. However, I'm from an incredible sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist etc. state so the people here are pretty awful and rude.

 

Can honestly say I've never noticed a difference. Ever.

 

Reading the article, the first part where the professor said "did your boyfriend solve that for you" was probably years ago as this person is now 51 and it mentioned "classmates".

"I can even complete a whole sentence without being interrupted by a man." This is just what this person reckons is happening know. It's not necessary because he's now a man. It could be because he now has a deeper voice (which isn't intrinsically sexist) or it could be because he's now older hence has more experience meaning people listen to him more.

Some of the other sexism he's heard has probably come from older people. So it's important to remember that older people will die soon hence the world will automatically become less sexist.

I'm not saying sexism doesn't exist, it does. But at the same time it's not fair to accuse a whole section of people in this case scientists (who are actually very liberal) of being sexist. Feminism seems to be doing this a lot nowadays days. Painting large sections of society as sexist such as gamers, academics, people who listen to heavy metal etc... When in all groups your going to get bad apples.

 

I agree with this and I also agree that some people do it without even thinking about it since misogyny is often learned unconsciously.

As far as I remember I don't think I've had a moment when I've very obviously been treated differently because of my sex, at least not one that I have picked up on.