#gender

See tagged statuses in the local Rambling Readers community

69 — Is jealousy a gender role in your stories? Does it affect one gender or certain sexual preferences?

My characters express love in my stories in many ways, but jealousy (as most of the world seems to see it) is not one of those ways. In the most recent story where jealousy could have been a factor, the MC's two male lovers agreed that any bad behavior on their part might make her give them the boot. In reality, that part was too minor an issue to be addressed further in the story.

In that case, jealousy affected the males in the story, but it's a flaw built into the species. Any gender or preference can feel it when they see another as a personal resource, and fear losing that resource. It's simply a type of anger used to keep a bearer of a resource from straying …

59 — Could you write or have you written a positive story with toxic masculinity as an element? Why or why not?

Having encountered it in real life, it would be difficult for me to write a positive story with it as an element. It would be dark and difficult. I do have a story that has a man so afflicted, who in grasping for power realizes the MC (the main series antagonist in the reluctance series) has talent that were he to control it, he could conquer nations. He tries trapping her into marrying her, and when that fails, drums up charges that if convicted, would allow him to buy her as a slave. Any more would be spoilers, other than to say that in a possible sequel they must join forces and he doesn't like ending up being the one used. Not saying that a woman …

The Sex Discrimination Act turns 50 in 2025 & its been a mixed history; as Yvonne Roberts suggests, some really big strides forward but equally some real resistance & lack of progress.

Which both suggests, legislation can start to transform social norms but while being a necessary underpinning to social change is seldom sufficient to see social structures transformed.

There are still plenty of ways men manage to discriminate & exploit women in the workplace.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/29/sex-discrimination-act-50-equal-pay

58 — A certain gender seems more susceptible to gaslighting and manipulation than another thanks to training or lack there of because of their gender. Have you used this (or observed this used) in fiction? How about that gender manipulating the manipulator because of their gender training?

It not only a certain gender, those buying fully into female gender roles, but any dominated racial, religious, or ethnic class or group can be manipulated. I've watched some old b&w era movies; you see this often enough. Even my main antagonist isn't above gaslighting, but she wants those people to eventually see through the illusions and understand the reasons they accepted them.

I think it would be cool to write a story where the gaslighter, having picked a victim, doesn't realize he's being gaslighted himself by a more wily manipulator, his victim, who instead picked him. If it gives you …

At the heart of Labour's white paper 'Get Britain Working' lies a fundamental problem:

By seeing work as defined as paid employment, it (and by extension the Govt.) downplays a lot of women's unpaid work (not least of all around care responsibilities).

As the Women's Budget Group point out, much unpaid work actually makes other economically defined work possible.

We need a major rethink about economic contribution(s), if that's how we value work!


https://www.wbg.org.uk/article/wbg-responds-to-governments-get-britain-working-white-paper/

As Hind Elhinnawy observes:

'If the world can tolerate the Taliban’s abuses, Iraq’s restrictive laws & the US restrictions on abortion access, it reveals the fragility of women’s & girls’ rights globally, and how easy it is to take them away'!

Feminism's work is never done & any idea that once rights have been won they don't need continually defending against (mostly) male political attack is very much mistaken.

Patriarchy never rests!

https://theconversation.com/how-womens-basic-rights-and-freedoms-are-being-eroded-all-over-the-world-243302

"The 2024 election is in part about whether women can be free and equal citizens of this republic. Right now too many cannot. …

[MAGA men furious that their wives may vote independently of their control] want marriage to be an inherently unequal relationship with a subordinate wife and an entitled husband, a cozy little authoritarian regime at home."

~ Rebecca Solnit


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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/01/maga-trump-men-supporters-womens-rights

, , and participants, I am creating a new daily challenge hashtag game that focuses on gender in fiction tagged . I plan to release it for a minimum of a one month run either in November or December, depending on when I collect 30 (or 31) prompts. Gender fiction addresses gender roles, but also concerns itself with gay and straight, feminist, trans, gender-fluid, enby, and ace topics. Our expression of gender is how we, or our characters, coexist in society. It's about being who you are (unique and special) and maybe fighting for that. Or hiding it.

My problem is that I have my favorite topics; I realize my focus could be broader. Do you have any suggestions for questions that address gender, lgbtqia+ issues, or gender roles together with writing, stories, or being an author? I'd love to round off …