Gender Consciousness

[lady_bug87]

So I asked this question on Facebook but I want to know how this community feels about this particular topic.

This is how I worded it on FB

Do you think women in this hobby portray themselves fairly?

By fairly I mean in a way that should get them the same amount of respect that their male counterparts receive.

I think its an interesting conversation, not to mention an important one.

[StudentoReptile]

Just to be clear, are you asking if women PORTRAY THEMSELVES fairly? and not asking if they are portrayed fairly by others?

[lady_bug87]

Just to be clear, are you asking if women PORTRAY THEMSELVES fairly? and not asking if they are portrayed fairly by others?

Correct...

What I want to know is how people (mostly men) feel about the image female hobbyists create for themselves. And how is the respect women are given as a general populous tied to that image?

[StudentoReptile]

In any case, it goes the same for any demographic, not just the reptile community. I think it starts with addressing the first question; when women actually start portraying themselves fairly and respectably, they will be treated as such more and more. Its not an overnight thing. And I know several professionals in this hobby that I respect, who happen to be female.

[MDT]

And I know several professionals in this hobby that I respect, who happen to be female.

This...If you're a slip-knot, it doesn't matter if you're male or female.

[lady_bug87]

In any case, it goes the same for any demographic, not just the reptile community. I think it starts with addressing the first question; when women actually start portraying themselves fairly and respectably, they will be treated as such more and more. Its not an overnight thing. And I know several professionals in this hobby that I respect, who happen to be female.

I was referring to the average hobbyist,

Like I said I think its interesting. And I see waay too many naked pictures publically posted by young women in this hobby to feel that there isnt some kind of stereotype involved.

I think outbursts like that have an effect on how ALL women are received

[StudentoReptile]

I was referring to the average hobbyist,

Like I said I think its interesting. And I see waay too many naked pictures publically posted by young women in this hobby to feel that there isnt some kind of stereotype involved.

I think outbursts like that have an effect on how ALL women are received

I agree. This kind of stuff is why some women wonder why they aren't treated seriously. Its quite simple. Don't act like a skank (snake wrapped your scantily-clad form or not), and people won't treat you like one.

LOL...and I have voiced my opinions about hobbyists who feel the need to have snakes around their neck, but that is another discussion. (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-discussion/94210-snakes-around-neck.html)

[Terranaut]

I have found a few people on here were female that I did not know were female. I treat everyone the same. Herping isn't like being a fireman. Being one sex or the other determines nothing regarding your ability or potential knowledge. We have had some "girlies" on here but even if they eere definately female in their opinions of people or events, it had no bearing on their herp knowledge.....not to mention they typicaly leave and do not reflect the longer term girls here.
So yes , I respect the women here same as the men.

[smy_749]

For the most part I would say yes, more so than many male 'hobbyists' in many cases. What I mean by this is knowing scientific names, proper husbandry, providing $$ for care when needed (for some reason I feel that with care in general, women are doing better than men, maybe its maternal instinct lol). Granted, I'm not saying every female is as described, and it could be that since there are still more men (not sure on that) in the hobby, the number of careless male keepers is larger.

[Mikoh4792]

And I see waay too many naked pictures publically posted by young women in this hobby

Are you being literal?

I don't see how women in particular would be portrayed in a good or bad way in the reptile hobby. Afterall, it's just another hobby. It has nothing to do with gender and more to do with how individuals carry themselves.

[lady_bug87]

yes I am being entirely literal

[smy_749]

Where are these naked pictures? I'd like to study them to further educate myself on the matter.

[lady_bug87]

you're married. Look at your wife.

[smy_749]

you're married. Look at your wife.

Shes across the pond and shes not a reptile hobbyist so she can't be a part of the study

[Mikoh4792]

Interesting...

[MDT]

Where are these naked pictures?

There are a couple fairly risqué ones on FB to begin with....(at least that's what I've been told :) )

But Lady Bug...I think these are women who would shed clothes no matter what hobby they were involved in.

[lady_bug87]

you can call me Lori
and you're probably right. I just think it happens more frequently here on our hobby

[smy_749]

It can't be that frequent if I haven't seen any

[Aaron_S]

Are you being literal?

I don't see how women in particular would be portrayed in a good or bad way in the reptile hobby. Afterall, it's just another hobby. It has nothing to do with gender and more to do with how individuals carry themselves.

Yes, she's literal. There's plenty of them if you know where to look.

I think over a general look of women vs men that women have a harder time getting the same respect a man would. In my opinion it takes a woman more effort to get that respect and probably have to prove themselves whereas a guy gets a lot more credit way quicker. With far fewer people asking for proof.

There's a severe lack of women in the hobby at the top level. Be it breeder, conservationist, scientist, whatever etc. and I think it affects things.

I definitely see women looked as "lesser" and that has a lot to do with how women represent themselves. This includes a few things and one of them would be their sometimes overly emotional actions towards the animals. I've seen firsthand someone kill a snake with overcare. It happens.

I'd love to see a female dominated breeder. Especially in the more common stuff as it'll be shown more. Most of the time it's always a husband/woman team and not even a woman/husband team if they are highly successful.

[MDT]

Annnd...you can call me Matt :)

The same thing happens on some of the gun boards I frequent...I consider myself a very responsible shooter...that being said, I get rather tired of seeing the "redneck" or "zombie hunter" or the "Rambo" all with their fingers inside the trigger guards or sweeping the muzzle of their guns in unsafe directions in the pictures they post. I think every hobby has it's goofballs...unfortunately social media brings them out by the truck loads.

[lady_bug87]

No kidding

[Aaron_S]

Annnd...you can call me Matt :)

The same thing happens on some of the gun boards I frequent...I consider myself a very responsible shooter...that being said, I get rather tired of seeing the "redneck" or "zombie hunter" or the "Rambo" all with their fingers inside the trigger guards or sweeping the muzzle of their guns in unsafe directions in the pictures they post. I think every hobby has it's goofballs...unfortunately social media brings them out by the truck loads.

You are correct Matt. It does bring out the worst it seems. the BOI is full of threads about poop that started on social media.

Unfortunately, my take on the topic at hand is the same from over 10 years. (One time longevity is useful) I've never seen women do much except seem to be sexualized as they are almost anywhere. The problem is, in a lot of other professions or hobbies there are women who accomplish a lot or who have. All on their lonesome. I see in this hobby that it's lacking and often overlooked.

We've got a few.

Kathy Love is probably the only one I know of who doesn't have a husband attached. Tracy Barker has her husband Dave but that's not to take away her brilliance either but I think she may get slightly overlooked because he is there.

I see these two women kind of quietly being great and wish there was a woman to dominate more in the front lines like some of the guys do.

[MDT]

I spoke to Tracy Barker one day years ago by phone...very gracious and knowledgable beyond most in the hobby.

Grace Olive Wiley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Olive_Wiley) ......Grace was probably the "first lady" of herps. Definitely a trail blazer for women in the hobby.

[Hannibalcanibal]

The way i see it is, men are more.. I guess flashy when it comes to reptiles. As in, we tend to show off a lot, write a lot of articles and such, whereas females are a bit quieter, which is why it may seem like there are not as many of them with all the men who make youtube shows, make websites, show off animals, etc.

Just my 2c.

[franks]

Expanding on what aaraon was saying: it is my opinion that a woman (broad generalization) is less likely to showcase what she knows and flaunt it. Therefore, the females in our hobby that do have a vast amount of knowledge are generally over-shouted by some of the men on forums, even if they do not know half as much as said women. So to specifically answer your question, Lori, it is my opinion that the general way women present themselves in the reptile hobby is much more reserved than your general male would be.

[Hannibalcanibal]

Expanding on what aaraon was saying: it is my opinion that a woman (broad generalization) is less likely to showcase what she knows and flaunt it. Therefore, the females in our hobby that do have a vast amount of knowledge are generally over-shouted by some of the men on forums, even if they do not know half as much as said women. So to specifically answer your question, Lori, it is my opinion that the general way women present themselves in the reptile hobby is much more reserved than your general male would be.

^agreed....

[Aaron_S]

Expanding on what aaraon was saying: it is my opinion that a woman (broad generalization) is less likely to showcase what she knows and flaunt it. Therefore, the females in our hobby that do have a vast amount of knowledge are generally over-shouted by some of the men on forums, even if they do not know half as much as said women. So to specifically answer your question, Lori, it is my opinion that the general way women present themselves in the reptile hobby is much more reserved than your general male would be.

That's a valid point.

Problem I see with it though is there's a lot of ladies with little knowledge who are loud soto speak and thus make the rest of the women in the hobby look bad too. It makes it difficult for those women you speak of to gain any respect or traction without working extra hard because a lot of women find it great to show their bodies.

I get it. That anyone has a right to their personal choosing but I think we should all strive a little to ensure you aren't hampering anyone else's ability to do something.

Also Matt, thanks for that link! I had no idea about her. Too bad she ended up being a bad example of anyone with venomous snakes. I guess the saving grace is the fact it was so long ago in the infancy of the hobby.

[Awaiting Abyss]

I'm not entirely sure of the meaning of this thread, since I was unaware there were any stereotypes. Though I'm sure as with most stereotypes it just isn't true.
I'm not sure why anyone would group all women together. No offense, but I think very little of most men. However, when I meet a man I look at them as an equal until they give me a reason to think less of them. The same goes for women. I look at them as equals until they give me a reason to think less of them.

My fiance could care less about all of my rodents and my snake.. The only animals he really cares for is the cats. It frustrates me that he isn't as fascinated by all animals as I am. I spend most of my free time researching animals of all kinds, and I have always done this since I was old enough to read.

[red ink]

I was referring to the average hobbyist,

Like I said I think its interesting. And I see waay too many naked pictures publically posted by young women in this hobby to feel that there isnt some kind of stereotype involved.

I think outbursts like that have an effect on how ALL women are received

What's nudity got to do with respect... in reverse what's sharp clothing got to do with respect?

Respect is earned regardless of the amount of clothing male or female.

Are you asking if naked pics are damaging the image of women in the hobby?

The answer to that is yes - but only if the person looking is a backward chauvanist numb nut... the rest of us that don't equate your status/respect to your image and the ability you have in keeping animals... nudity is icing on the cake.

[SSSSnakes]

you're married. Look at your wife.

That was a great answer.

I find that there are too many reptile loving women that feel the need to use sexuality to get attention, and too many Horn Dogs that give it to them. I have left one site because it was more of a dating site than a reptile site. I hate it when a nice Lady post a non provocative picture of her and her reptile and some idiot ask, "is there a snake in that picture?"

The problem is we have a lot of beautiful ladies on here and most guys see the looks and don't care if they have a brain. Honestly, I don't know half the time if I am talking to a women or a guy, if their avatar is not a picture of themselves. I respect anyone who is respectful of others. So to answer the original question, I think it is about 50/50 how women portray themselves. The ones that post sexy pictures are only looking for attention and it goes the same for the guys. Do we really need to see guys holding their reptiles with their shirts off or next to their favorite toy (motorcycle, sports car, gun, guitar, etc.) Lets just keep it reptiles, there are many other forums for the sexy stuff.

[KORBIN5895]

Unfortunately most of the vocal women in our hobby are a little unbalanced, just check the boi.

[Aaron_S]

I'm not entirely sure of the meaning of this thread, since I was unaware there were any stereotypes. Though I'm sure as with most stereotypes it just isn't true...

Stereotypes are true. They are founded in truth. Surely it isn't to an exact definition but they wouldn't be stereotypes without some truth!

[Aaron_S]

What's nudity got to do with respect... in reverse what's sharp clothing got to do with respect?

Respect is earned regardless of the amount of clothing male or female.

Are you asking if naked pics are damaging the image of women in the hobby?

The answer to that is yes - but only if the person looking is a backward chauvanist numb nut... the rest of us that don't equate your status/respect to your image and the ability you have in keeping animals... nudity is icing on the cake.

Image is a lot. If the first thing I happen to see of a newly joined member is nudity I've already begun to form an impression of them. We all do it. It takes 5 seconds in meeting someone to make an impression.

Jerry made good points.

I think it's sad that women generally hide themselves online and when they do post pictures. Maybe just holding a snake or other reptile and some guy does what Jerry says "oh there's a reptile in that pic?" It turns it sexual and we shouldn't do that. I'm sure it's nice to get a compliment but at the same time I'm sure those women would like to just be equal in that moment.

[Mikoh4792]

Image is a lot. If the first thing I happen to see of a newly joined member is nudity I've already begun to form an impression of them. We all do it. It takes 5 seconds in meeting someone to make an impression.

Jerry made good points.

I think it's sad that women generally hide themselves online and when they do post pictures. Maybe just holding a snake or other reptile and some guy does what Jerry says "oh there's a reptile in that pic?" It turns it sexual and we shouldn't do that. I'm sure it's nice to get a compliment but at the same time I'm sure those women would like to just be equal in that moment.

I agree with your last paragraph. It's just skin. Being nude doesn't always need to be sexualized. It's the men who sexualize everything that should be looked down upon, not women for showing some skin.

[Aaron_S]

I agree with your last paragraph. It's just skin. Being nude doesn't always need to be sexualized. It's the men who sexualize everything that should be looked down upon, not women for showing some skin.

No? I shouldn't blame the women who show series of nude pics on other forums? No guy said they HAD to take them or put them up.

[Mikoh4792]

No? I shouldn't blame the women who show series of nude pics on other forums? No guy said they HAD to take them or put them up.

Yeah so they want to show off their body so what? It doesn't make me think less of someone. I don't mean this politically but I think it's a very traditional or conservative way of thinking to demonize nudity. Again, it's just skin. Nothing fancy, nothing bad either. There are civilizations in this world where women walk around with their money makers hanging out all day, and where the men wear nothing but a horn over their genitals. It's nothing to sexualize unless you're a pervert. People get too threatened by bare skin.

[Aaron_S]

Yeah so they want to show off their body so what? It doesn't make me think less of someone. I don't mean this politically but I think it's a very traditional or conservative way of thinking to demonize nudity. Again, it's just skin. Nothing fancy, nothing bad either. There are civilizations in this world where women walk around with their money makers hanging out all day, and where the men wear nothing but a horn over their genitals. It's nothing to sexualize unless you're a pervert. People get too threatened by bare skin.

I think this is now getting too personal in opinion. I don't care about bare skin. It isn't the point.

The point Lori was trying to make was are these women actually hurting the image of women as a whole in the hobby? It's about broad spectrum and not individual acts they do or don't do.

I'd say yes.


Also for the record, I doubt you'd think so highly of a woman if she were dating your son and was a prostitute or a stripper. Or if your daughter had these positions.

[Mikoh4792]

Also for the record, I doubt you'd think so highly of a woman if she were dating your son and was a prostitute or a stripper. Or if your daughter had these positions.

LOL for the record.

Why would you even say that? That has nothing to do with nudity. Nudity in itself is not sexual. It is simply the act of not wearing clothing. Prostitution is fundamentally sexual. Why you would even equate them confuses me. They are different topics.

[Aaron_S]

LOL for the record.

Why would you even say that? That has nothing to do with nudity. Nudity in itself is not sexual. It is simply the act of not wearing clothing. Prostitution is fundamentally sexual. Why you would even equate them confuses me. They are different topics.

Simply nevermind...if you're going to respond please be sure to talk about the thread topic since you consider this a different topic.

[Mikoh4792]

Simply nevermind...if you're going to respond please be sure to talk about the thread topic since you consider this a different topic.

I am talking about matters relevant to this thread. We can't talk vaguely all the time. We have to discuss the different points made on a topic to come to a conclusion. Public nudity is one aspect that we agreed ruins women's image in the hobby. We are simply expanding on that point. You just realized that equating nudity in itself to a woman dating my son while being a hooker was asinine.

[smy_749]

If a women dresses a certain way, she should be addressed a certain way. If she wants to show off all kinds of cleavage, than she should expect and she 99% of the time does expect these type of comments, whether she admits it or not. Nudity doesn't need to be sexual? Why don't you tell that to your instinctive nature. Don't give me any of that rubbish. IMO a women who is posing naked for the entire world to see on the internet, has no shame and should be treated like she has no shame. They are seeking attention, and want to be looked at, if you don't believe it your a fool.

2OBPaenkxdg

[Mikoh4792]

If a women dresses a certain way, she should be addressed a certain way. If she wants to show off all kinds of cleavage, than she should expect and she 99% of the time does expect these type of comments, whether she admits it or not. Nudity doesn't need to be sexual? Why don't you tell that to your instinctive nature. Don't give me any of that rubbish. IMO a women who is posing naked for the entire world to see on the internet, has no shame and should be treated like she has no shame. They are seeking attention, and want to be looked at, if you don't believe it your a fool.


It doesn't need to be sexual at all actually. As mentioned before there are civilizations where men and women live almost nude or fully nude. The men do not have chronic hard ons at the sight of breasts or buttocks. Our culture is just seriously sexually repressed which is why a little bit of skin sets people off. I'll say this over and over again. It's just skin, woopdeedoo.

[smy_749]

I don't think you can use nude societies as proof, they are the exception, and clothing societies are the examples you should be looking at since they are the majority of the human population. Its not just our 'culture'. Its probably 95 % of the the world. The human form is attractive to the opposite sex, wider hips, larger breasts, whatever. Consciously and sub consciously, we have trigger 'traits' that we look for and find attractive. You can raise a child to think that humans are disgusting and monkeys are attractive if you try hard enough, but what does that prove then? That we are attracted to monkeys? ....Human beings are attracted to the bodies of other human beings, if thats not the case, its an exception to the normal. Big deal.

[lady_bug87]

I used nudity as an example. It is not the reason I started this thread. I think that the behavior in general of some of the more vocal women in this hobby is in some ways automatically reflected in how women are regarded in the broader aspects of our community.

For example: we talked about how sometimes by avatar and username you'd never know the member was female. This is completely fine because it puts everyone on a level playing field.

There was a thread on here about girls and reptiles notice how there wasn't one called boys with reptiles?

I just don't think women are taken as seriously as men

We have some female members on here who have collections that outweigh most mens' in terms of size and badassary and it sucks that they have to work harder for the same recognition as their male counterparts because of the image some women create for all of us.

It's self inflicted sexism

[lady_bug87]

I hardly consider a woman posting pictures of herself... Enjoying some time alone can be considered non sexual nudity

It's all about context

[Mikoh4792]

I don't think you can use nude societies as proof, they are the exception, and clothing societies are the examples you should be looking at since they are the majority of the human population. Its not just our 'culture'. Its probably 95 % of the the world. The human form is attractive to the opposite sex, wider hips, larger breasts, whatever. Consciously and sub consciously, we have trigger 'traits' that we look for and find attractive. You can raise a child to think that humans are disgusting and monkeys are attractive if you try hard enough, but what does that prove then? That we are attracted to monkeys? ....Human beings are attracted to the bodies of other human beings, if thats not the case, its an exception to the normal. Big deal.

I can use it as proof, because as long as there are civilizations that live in nude, it is proof that we don't need to sexualize the bare body. It's something modern society can learn from them. The majority is not always right.

Besides, wider hips and larger breasts are things that can be noticed even through decent clothing.

[Mikoh4792]

you can raise a child to think that humans are disgusting and monkeys are attractive if you try hard enough, but what does that prove then? That we are attracted to monkeys?

If I can raise a child to grow up with that kind of mindset it means we can also be raised to sexualize everything. It is bred into our collective mentality, not in our nature, as is the case with nude societies. They did not grow up constantly sexualizing the human form. We don't need it.

[Aaron_S]

I used nudity as an example. It is not the reason I started this thread. I think that the behavior in general of some of the more vocal women in this hobby is in some ways automatically reflected in how women are regarded in the broader aspects of our community.

For example: we talked about how sometimes by avatar and username you'd never know the member was female. This is completely fine because it puts everyone on a level playing field.

There was a thread on here about girls and reptiles notice how there wasn't one called boys with reptiles?

I just don't think women are taken as seriously as men

We have some female members on here who have collections that outweigh most mens' in terms of size and badassary and it sucks that they have to work harder for the same recognition as their male counterparts because of the image some women create for all of us.

It's self inflicted sexism

I'd like to add that I've spoken with a number of members and there's a large majority of women who treat these animals as their "little babies" who like to "cuddle and kiss" and it does nothing but harm the image of women as a whole. They essentially "over care". Sometimes to the point of killing the animal. Proven here on this forum before.

This isn't how these animals are. Look at monitor care. If a monitor acts this way it is usually considered unhealthy.

I suspect this could be part of the reason there seems to be a higher turn over rate with women in the hobby than men. Proof of this is that over the past decade I see far more men still around the hobby/industry than I do the women who were ever involved.

[Aaron_S]

If I can raise a child to grow up with that kind of mindset it means we can also be raised to sexualize everything. It is bred into our collective mentality, not in our nature, as is the case with nude societies. They did not grow up constantly sexualizing the human form. We don't need it.

Honestly, you're now arguing something that isn't about the topic. You're talking about nature vs. nuture really and it isn't helping the discussion.

[Mikoh4792]

So in other words, women tend to anthropomorphize reptiles more often than men, and this leads to mistakes in husbandry.

[Mikoh4792]

Honestly, you're now arguing something that isn't about the topic. You're talking about nature vs. nuture really and it isn't helping the discussion.

Yes I'll stop here. I should have taken it to the Pm's. I was just responding to smy's point.

[Aaron_S]

So in other words, women tend to anthropomorphize reptiles more often than men, and this leads to mistakes in husbandry.

Yes, that's one part of the topic.

I've seen it firsthand. If you can't take your emotions out of something and it leads to the death of an innocent creature then I can't give someone respect for that.

[smy_749]

I'm having a bad morning, and its all due to a woman so you can just ignore me.

[Mikoh4792]

Yes, that's one part of the topic.

I've seen it firsthand. If you can't take your emotions out of something and it leads to the death of an innocent creature then I can't give someone respect for that.

How many incidents have you witnessed that would cause you to believe that this behavior is particular in women? Although not to the point of death, I have seen men getting into the hobby do this as well.

[Mikoh4792]

I'm having a bad morning, and its all due to a woman so you can just ignore me.

Lol I'm on 36 hours of no sleep so the same can be said for me.

[smy_749]

Ill prob going to jail so i think i win...

[SnakeyJay]

Nothing wrong with half naked people and reptiles... its the individuals choice and shouldn't make you jump to conclusions about their knowledge.

If women feel they're portrayed unfairly by other women then stand up and show that your different.

[EL Ziggy]

I believe we should respect everyone equally regardless of their gender, color, religion, etc. That's in the hobby and life in general. I'm not a big fan of men or women putting nude images on the internet for public display but I don't judge them negatively. Live and let live. I also LOVE the female anatomy and a woman with lots of intelligence, self confidence and a sweet personality to match.

[Aaron_S]

How many incidents have you witnessed that would cause you to believe that this behavior is particular in women? Although not to the point of death, I have seen men getting into the hobby do this as well.

With one particular woman, 3 times this year already. There's a few others out there as well on the forums I'm on. (4 on a regular basis)

Yes, men do as well. I see them do it far less though.

[Mikoh4792]

With one particular woman, 3 times this year already. There's a few others out there as well on the forums I'm on. (4 on a regular basis)

Yes, men do as well. I see them do it far less though.

Jesus Christ, three in one year. Has she not learned the first time? Apparently not.

[Starbuck]

as a female, with an androgynous profile picture and name; i find that i am often 'assumed' to be a man.
whether this is because the overall demographic of this site is predominately male, or if it's my style of writing i dont know, but i do find that interesting.

I would agree that there seems to subset of females in the hobby who make excessive anthropomorphisms about their pets, but this is found in people who keep dogs and cats as well. How many men refer to their dogs as their 'kids'? I personally dislike these terms, and i do think it serves to mask some of these females knowledge...

On a related note, today i had a female professor (DVM) in class discussing situational ethics on a case by case basis, and she referred to every animal as a 'kitty' and 'puppy', and that to me was distracting and honestly lowered my opinion of her, albeit unfairly.

I think it is less of an issue of damaging the female reputation and more of an undermining of our credibility as an active part of the community.

[LadyWraith]

I agree completely with Aaron about the anthropomorphism issue with women. And I think that they ARE generally loudest women voices heard. And it is a shame for sure cause there are some down right cool ladies interested in this hobby. From what I've noticed we are a little quieter than the guys too. Not really sure why that is. I haven't personally encountered the nudity and such so I have no real input about that aspect.

[lady_bug87]

as a female, with an androgynous profile picture and name; i find that i am often 'assumed' to be a man.
whether this is because the overall demographic of this site is predominately male, or if it's my style of writing i dont know, but i do find that interesting.

I would agree that there seems to subset of females in the hobby who make excessive anthropomorphisms about their pets, but this is found in people who keep dogs and cats as well. How many men refer to their dogs as their 'kids'? I personally dislike these terms, and i do think it serves to mask some of these females knowledge...

On a related note, today i had a female professor (DVM) in class discussing situational ethics on a case by case basis, and she referred to every animal as a 'kitty' and 'puppy', and that to me was distracting and honestly lowered my opinion of her, albeit unfairly.

I think it is less of an issue of damaging the female reputation and more of an undermining of our credibility as an active part of the community.

Exactly my point our credibility does suffer

[Aaron_S]

I agree completely with Aaron about the anthropomorphism issue with women. And I think that they ARE generally loudest women voices heard. And it is a shame for sure cause there are some down right cool ladies interested in this hobby. From what I've noticed we are a little quieter than the guys too. Not really sure why that is. I haven't personally encountered the nudity and such so I have no real input about that aspect.

You're right. There ARE some wicked ladies. Tracy Barker and Kathy Love spring to mind. Of course there's plenty right here on this forum too!

I don't know why women are quieter but maybe it's because they don't get sucked into the chest beating contests that men easily get drawn into.

I believe the point made by Starbuck and echoed by Lori makes a lot of sense. The credibility suffers and that's a REALLY good way of putting it.