My earliest experience that I can remember where I realized there were gender roles and that they would affect me was in 2nd grade. Aside from realizing the differences from girl and boy parts I had never been in a position to realize I wasn’t capable of doing anything the boys did. However, during recess on a hot and sunny day, I was told by a teacher that I wasn’t behaving like a lady by rough housing with the boys. Looking back on it today it makes me almost angry. What right does some little old lady, with her 1940’s ideals, have to tell a little girl she can’t play with the boys?
The reason I bring it up is because I’m preparing to enter the business world where it is still predominantly the “old-boys” club. I have been repeatedly told by my male friends that in order for me to make it I’ll probably have to go “the extra mile” and use my sexuality as a tool. It makes me sick to think that they still believe that this is the case or rather that I’d do something along those lines to get ahead. It proves that even in our seemingly “PC” society, views are just as tainted and narrow-minded as ever.
I’ll be playing with the boys every day, and you’d better believe that I’ll be keeping up.
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