Living in a Man's World
The term sports can often be associated with the male gender despite females being able to perform the same feats to a certain degree. Even knowing this, people have gone out of their way to exclude people that were not overtly masculine because they had felt that people that were not bursting at the seams with testosterone are inferior. The very people that look to shutout all those that are different from them in appearance are most likely well informed on sports but are ostracized from their depiction of sport connoisseurs. This theme of discrimination is entwined in Scott Almond's article, What I learned in the Locker Room, and Kristin Huckshorn's article, Female Sportswriter Finally Rocks the Boat.
With the Almond piece there is this sense of belonging that is lost on the night editor, Shelly, as she had transitioned from male to female. Whether the reason was to feel comfortable in the body that she had always envisioned or not, the fact still stood that Shelly had not changed in mind, only appearance. This change does not sit right with the higher ups at her job as Almond states, "I heard later that Shelly had worked as a sports reporter for years, and been close friends with the sports editor. After her surgery, he had reassigned her to work nights so people wouldn’t gawk". As Almond also points out that this is not a social normative in the 1980s, it is essential to note that Shelly was now being discriminated in the same ways as other women were. Although the extent is different because of the time period and situation that Shelly was in, the overall theme is the same as she is reduced to being labeled as an outcast.
Huckshorn placed in a similar situation with being a woman was disgusted that another female sportswriter was making a case against sexual harassment in the locker room. This situation had bothered her because of all the times that they had kept quiet because they were being allowed in the locker room after years of being kept out. That culminated into regret for her as she states, "She makes me wonder: If I had spoken up all along, would this still be happening now? I wish she would shut up. She makes me wish that I hadn’t". This portrayal of Huckshorn's true feelings is what many people feel when they are ostracized in a community that they have found joy in only to be bombarded by elitists and purists. The emotion that is felt from Huckshorn also enhances this idea of frustration for women and other outcasts in the past and present as the issue has changed slightly and in need of much needed work in order to grow the community in a healthy and stable manner.
This loss of belonging in group that you seek to be a part of is what makes it harder for people to fight through the abuse as they are pushed away by the very thing that they love. This feeling is all too noticeable for me as when I played hockey I did not think much of the girl's programs and thought them to be inferior. From just watching them it is obvious that women are capable despite not focusing on the physical aspect. As long as the toxic masculinity is predominant then the room for change will be small for those that deserve the same privileges.
With the Almond piece there is this sense of belonging that is lost on the night editor, Shelly, as she had transitioned from male to female. Whether the reason was to feel comfortable in the body that she had always envisioned or not, the fact still stood that Shelly had not changed in mind, only appearance. This change does not sit right with the higher ups at her job as Almond states, "I heard later that Shelly had worked as a sports reporter for years, and been close friends with the sports editor. After her surgery, he had reassigned her to work nights so people wouldn’t gawk". As Almond also points out that this is not a social normative in the 1980s, it is essential to note that Shelly was now being discriminated in the same ways as other women were. Although the extent is different because of the time period and situation that Shelly was in, the overall theme is the same as she is reduced to being labeled as an outcast.
Huckshorn placed in a similar situation with being a woman was disgusted that another female sportswriter was making a case against sexual harassment in the locker room. This situation had bothered her because of all the times that they had kept quiet because they were being allowed in the locker room after years of being kept out. That culminated into regret for her as she states, "She makes me wonder: If I had spoken up all along, would this still be happening now? I wish she would shut up. She makes me wish that I hadn’t". This portrayal of Huckshorn's true feelings is what many people feel when they are ostracized in a community that they have found joy in only to be bombarded by elitists and purists. The emotion that is felt from Huckshorn also enhances this idea of frustration for women and other outcasts in the past and present as the issue has changed slightly and in need of much needed work in order to grow the community in a healthy and stable manner.
This loss of belonging in group that you seek to be a part of is what makes it harder for people to fight through the abuse as they are pushed away by the very thing that they love. This feeling is all too noticeable for me as when I played hockey I did not think much of the girl's programs and thought them to be inferior. From just watching them it is obvious that women are capable despite not focusing on the physical aspect. As long as the toxic masculinity is predominant then the room for change will be small for those that deserve the same privileges.
Comments
Post a Comment