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I'll just say the only thing that occurs to me... This is remarkably mature, and astute, and human. It touches at the reality of the situation when you assume

I'll just say the only thing that occurs to me... This is remarkably mature, and astute, and human. It touches at the reality of the situation when you assume most of the players have good intentions. It avoids sinking to the platitudes and trivialities that cloud this discussion. It's enormously complex, beyond this. But this is a truth I haven't heard yet, and it's part of the kernel of the problem.

stanleydrew 13y ago
I agree, which is why I submitted it to HN. I don't know her personally, but I think Michelle should be commended for bringing something actually interesting and useful to this discussion.
secstate 13y ago
Perhaps the most unsettling part of Michele's observation is that it is not clear how to get around it. Calls for gender neutrality in the work place are a bit like asking for world peace. There is no neutral, so long as sex and instinct are involved. When I am tasked to work one-on-one with an attractive female co-worker, shit gets cloudy really quickly. I'm a happily married man. I telecommute. There is no reason for these situations to be awkward. But yet, here we are. The gray zone certainly exists and it will be a very tough nut to crack. Basically, kudos to Michele for calling out the uselessness of public shame sessions, and advocating a new tack. Because the old one sure as hell wasn't going to get us across the finish line.