Unfortunately, this article did nothing to advance our progress toward that goal. Much of the rest of the article dealt with slights this conductor experienced as a "woman conductor" from men. The article also explored how women conductors are different (i.e., better) than men conductors.
Am I missing something here? It seems to me if you wanted gender to disappear into the background, you wouldn't focus on it so much. It seems to me that the conductor and journalist who wrote this article are making sure this wish does not come true.
This appears to be a good example of the saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it."
I'm sure everyone has seen examples of this phenomenon - feminists whining about some problem, and then blocking every attempt to solve it. It reminds me of the petulant child who cries when her brother gets more ice cream than she does, but when Mom offers to give her more, she refuses out of spite, and sulks all day. The power of victim hood.
Is that what's going on here? Is the conductor dishing out a load of guilt so she can appear morally superior? (Am I doing the same thing by writing this article? Maybe!)
Or could the conductor be pulling an Anita Hill? One theory claims Ms. Hill used sexual harassment as an excuse for her failure as a lawyer. Perhaps the conductor is getting her excuse ready. If she fails, she can blame her failure on gender discrimination. What else could it be?
If a man focuses on gender instead of a woman's occupation, it is seen as sexism. Yet, a woman can utilize her gender for all it's worth. Why the double standard?
I guess it comes down to that old debate: Are men and women equal, or are they different? Unfortunately, some women are rather self-serving about how they answer this question. If in some situation, women are disadvantaged, these women scream that men and women are equal, and equality should prevail. But, if some women experience benefits by virtue of their gender, wellllll then, that's different! Men and women are different, and there is nothing we can do about it!
Strange, how both of these approaches appeared in this one article.
Another thing - please note the difference in exposure (no, I'm not talking about exhibitionism, here ... well, maybe I am!) - if a woman whines about men's insensitivity, it appears in a large regional newspaper. If a man whines about women's double standards, it appears in the lowly rag, The Backlash! (Editor: Hey! I heard that!)
The aforementioned conductor longs for the day when she will no longer be known as a "woman conductor." I long for that day, too, as well as the day when I am thought of as a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, instead of "man whiner" for The Backlash!
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