The Internet Just Realized That Workplace Sexism Is Real Thanks to a Man
March 16, 2017The Internet Just Realized That Workplace Sexism Is Real Thanks to a Man
| 3.16.17 | 12:17 pm
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CREDIT: Billion Photos/Shutterstock
Being talked down to in the workplace is nothing new for women. Most female-presenting adults in literally any field have accepted by now that their lives (and likely their jobs) will just be more difficult due to their gender. They’ve factored it in to their work days. They’ve learned to take it in stride and move on.
They’ve also learned to not say anything about it because no one seems to care. I mean, women have been saying that they’re often not taken seriously in the workplace (both by clients and coworkers), but—I’m sorry—men didn’t believe it.
Until now. Here’s the story:
So here's a little story of the time @nickyknacks taught me how impossible it is for professional women to get the respect they deserve:
— Martin R. Schneider (@SchneidRemarks) March 9, 2017
CREDIT: Twitter @SchneidRemarks
CREDIT: Twitter @SchneidRemarks
CREDIT: Twitter @SchneidRemarks
CREDIT: Twitter @SchneidRemarks
And he got thousands of likes on Twitter.
Call it “the Cosby Effect,” because thanks to some man out there, workplace sexism is now being considered as a real phenomenon despite the fact that women have been talking about it for years. Much like the allegations of sexual misconduct against Bill Cosby that were ignored until male comedian Hannibal Buress talked about it in his stand-up in 2014, people all over the world ignored the reality that women are routinely talked down to by coworkers and clients alike until a man confirmed it for them.
That’s a problem. But it’s not Martin Schneider that’s the problem.
It’s actually awesome that this guy used his position of privilege to show the injustice in his workplace. Anyone criticizing him for being a “white male hero” is wrong. I’m sorry, you’re wrong. He’s an ally. If the story was that Nicole told him clients being rude because she was a woman were to blame for the extra time she took at work and he didn’t believe her until he saw it himself—that would be different.
But that’s not what happened here. He knew that as a white man he holds more clout with other white men. It sucks, but it’s true. He used his privilege to speak for those who were not being believed which is… Exactly what we ask of allies, is it not?
The problem here is not men like Martin Schneider—the ones who see injustice and make it known, despite the fact that it doesn’t affect them daily.
The problem is the people who, for whatever reason, don’t believe women or POC or other marginalized groups when they discuss their own experiences of prejudice. It’s the ones who, despite thousands of women confirming that they’ve been experiencing something for years, choose to take a white cis-man’s word for it instead.
(If you’re interested, you can read Nicole’s account of the experiment on Medium. You can also follow Martin and Nicole on Twitter at @SchneidRemarks and @NickyKnacks, respectively.)
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Tags:
discrimination, feminism, martin schneider, prejudice, social, womens issuesOriginal Article