Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/28/84; site lll-crg.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!gymble!lll-crg!muffy
From: muffy@lll-crg.ARPA (Muffy Barkocy)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: clothing; gender implications
Message-ID: <633@lll-crg.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 8-Jun-85 14:13:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: lll-crg.633
Posted: Sat Jun  8 14:13:37 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Jun-85 03:15:21 EDT
References: <186@timeinc.UUCP> <252@spar.UUCP> <5697@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Reply-To: muffy@lll-crg.UUCP (Muffy Barkocy)
Organization: Lawrence Livermore Labs, CRG group
Lines: 45


Hmm...had some ideas floating around in my head, which may or may not
make sense, but here goes:

Re:  gender-specific language, specifically the implications of "fireman,"
etc.

Considering the effect that television is supposed to have on society,
which I'm not sure of one way or another, might it be a good idea to
use this to change the ideas of people (esp. children) that these are
"male" jobs, by showing them with at least equal numbers of males and
females, in comparable positions?  (just a random thought...)

Re: provocative clothing

When the weather is warm, I like to go around in shorts and top of 
some sort, leotard, t-shirt, etc.  I am consistently informed by my
mother that this is provocative, and just "asking for rape."  I do
most of my travelling by walking or riding the bus/BART.  Now, let's
play with figures.  1 in 4 women raped (I'm just taking this from what 
I have seen on here).  All the following is guesswork as to figures.
Say that each rapist has twenty victims.  This makes 1 in 80 men a
rapist.  This is assuming equal numbers of men and women, which I
realize is not the case, but it's close enough for wild guesswork.

So, I'm in provocative clothing.  I get onto a crowded MUNI bus,
walk through the city, grab a BART train, go bookshopping in
Berkeley, back home through the same path.  During this time, I
encounter at least 400 people, ~200 men.  Which makes it 2-3
rapists.  (The route I have described covers many different areas,
some good, some not-so-good, some bad).

Now, I have been dressing lightly in the heat for a long time, but
certainly all the time I have lived in California, which makes it
6 years.  The weather is very warm at least one month of the year.
so, 30 days, 60-90 rapists, for 6 years, 360-540 rapists.

I'm also 5'8", 110 lbs, and totally out of shape from sitting at
a keyboard most of the time and never getting any exercise, other
than going for walks (*grin*).  So, I don't think I look very
intimidating, except maybe for my overstuffed purse.  Why have I
not been raped? (Don't tell me, let me guess, "I've been lucky,
SO FAR.")

                     Muffy