Liberals, Intellectuals, And Sexism

[DemocratSinceBirth]

A few years back a couple of my friends, some of them self professed intellectuals,wanted to start a group where we would get together and discuss historical events... I thought the idea was pretentious and for lack of a better word, nerdy, but I went because I was curious... I mean, the whole idea of a bunch of guys who thought they were really smart getting together with the express purpose of discussing historical events was funny...

Anyway, we're sitting there , discussing how to organize the topics, and my best friend Bobby, who was an ad junct professor of history and one of the brighest people I have ever met said he wanted to discuss the contributions women have made... The rest of the group was openly contemptuous...

This was about fifteeen years ago but it stays with me...

[saltpoint]

1. So hang out with different people.

Times change.

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. apparently times change slowly.

Based on what happens on this board daily and in the news constantly.

[saltpoint]

Fifteen years is a long time. In other respects, it's the blink of an eye.

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. As a feminist, I find that we have made progress--thanks to people

like Clinton. When I went to law school gender was not an issue. When Clinton went to law school, she was one of two women (if my memory serves me). However, once in the field, I find gender issues constantly as hurdles.

[saltpoint]

11. Which is not evidence that progress, often anonymous progress, is not

made in unrecorded moments.

There are more progressive attitudes in our general culture now than ever before.

Witness the span (more than 15 years) between Southern Governor Lester Maddox barring the doors of a school to young black students and the 1992 Inaugural of Southern Governor Bill Clinton, who asked a black poet to read a poem for that Inaugural. The Right might say that was symbolism only but to anyone who remembered the days of earlier southern Governors, it wasn't a symbol at all, but real life progress.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Many Of The People Thought The Whole Concept Was A Joke

Is fifteen years ago that long a time?

We were in our early thirties then...

[saltpoint]

12. As Bob Dylan might put it, "ah, but I was so much older then; I'm younger

than that now."

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. were they contemptuous because

they didn't want to break down historical moments and contributions by specific categories? Or do you think it was just because they didn't fine the contributions of women worth discussing?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. The Latter

~

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. hmm

That's odd, i don't think I've ever met a sexist intelligent person in my life. Granted, I'm younger than you.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. I Still Encounter Sexism Among So Called Educated People

I have a friend who refers to grown up women as girls even though he knows it frosts me...

[donsu]

4. and today they are probably still contemptuous

one reason why women fought so hard to get Women's Studies so that women (and men) could learn women herstory.

history books left out women, as if we had not been there. (washing their dirty underwear - the human world will be harmonious when men wash their own underwear - so to speak)


once women started studying history from a female perspective, all kinds of historical, important, women came into view.

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. "self professed intellectuals" - always the worst kind

:-)

[RuleOfNah]

13. What does Liberal or Intellectual have to do with it?

Those are poorly chosen attributes. They tell me nothing useful. Sexism transcends those categories.

I suppose one could argue that Liberals and/or intellectuals should know better. OK, but ignoring the non-Liberals and non-Intellectuals ignores the vast weight of oppressive habits embedded in cultures around the world.

For example, is it safe to share feminist literature without getting the death penalty? Is it safe to have a cup of coffee with a non-relative in public without getting stripped searched?