I like this post a lot, but I think boys clubs – in atmosphere if not in the rules – are still pretty common. The Women in Engineering debate, f’rexample, remains a big deal. And my read on his tone is that it’s polite because, like many of us, he’s got some prejudiced friends he needs to persuade – I’ve definitely been there with friends who were much more open to my point when I wasn’t yelling SEXIST ROT EVERYWHERE JESUS at them. This is enormously frustrating in many ways but I think it’s a classic problem which still applies now for many women, hence the frequency of online trolls who go “I just don’t like your TONE”. I think we still don’t like angry feminism in the public sphere. Sometimes it’s frustrating, other times I’m more like, “well, if I can get these people talking via politeness, so much the better”. Depends on what it is I’m talking about- but often more commonly, who I’m talking to. Hard one.

Hooray, Carl, though! I love his list – Jane Goodall for the win! And I am all for finding the positives where we can, yes indeed. Look at that list! Yes.