Being a father of girls sure makes a difference. Listening to arguments against women in the building trades from other males (usually when I had female apprentices) always seemed personal after the girls were born. Why would someone invest time in having lists of limitations directed at others they didn’t have any reason to dislike?

My Mom as department head struggled with being paid less than the males she supervised and wasn’t shy about mentioning it. For sure by high school I found strong females interesting, exotic and in some ways a bit dangerous. I think some guys see women as a sub-species of males and I find it terrifying to contemplate something that potentially dumb:-)

It might also be that I’ve never really fit in. As a teenager it was important and it still hurts to be left out but it’s important that things be personal between people–not distanced or based on rules.

And this isn’t to say there aren’t rotten women around. But I think they are pretending in that role. A person should be nothing more than the person they are.