A week or so ago I read a post on Medium by a young woman who is studying Engineering at MIT. In it she recounted some of the bizarre sexist reactions she gets as a blonde engineering student. (I read her exchange with a dental hygienist to my Dad, who is over 80 and not exactly a feminist, and even he was shocked.)
The post has attracted responses, comments, and a follow-up by the author. All worth reading, by the way.
So I have added my own response, based on some notes I jotted down last Summer when I was (again) messing up the demographics at an event. You can read the whole post on Medium.
“I am the oldest person here, the youngest person here. I am the only woman here.
I am the only woman over 40 at a technology Meetup event. (OK, over 50, but I’m still the only woman over 40.) My white hair will stand out, slightly overexposed, when somebody posts photos on the website tomorrow.”