Last week I came across this interesting article from The Women’s International Perspective.

Why U.S. Women Earn So Little Money: The Wage Gap Isn’t Getting Any Better

I’ve been sitting on this topic for a couple of days because it’s really complicated, and yet shouldn’t be. 

Since I work in government, I know (or should I say, can know) the salary for every single person in my office. I can see if I’m making more than people performing similar work with similar experience, or if I’m making less. I haven’t compared because I’m content, for the most part, with my salary.

When I was in the private sector, however, we weren’t allowed to know what other people made. Yet I wasn’t too concerned then, either. I’ve never been good at negotiating salaries, or even determining what a fair salary would be for me. I have always just accepted what I’ve been offered. Some have argued that this is part of the reason why women make less than men: we don’t negotiate. Funny story, though – according to studies referenced in the above article, women face repercussions when we try to negotiate. Good times.

Money is a huge issue, and equality is a tricky thing, especially when some men might think that by bringing women up to their level in pay that means they might lose something. I have my own savings, my own money, and a job that allows me to live sans roommates for the first time since college. If I were to get married, though, what would happen? Assuming I have kids – and that’s a topic for another day – what would happen? Would I be expected to stay home? Would my imaginary husband be in a field with higher earning potential, thus making moot whether either of us wants to stay home? And if things didn’t work out and we got divorced and I had to go back to work – what would my earning potential and experience be then?

Women choose to have children, so are women at fault for needing more flexibility (and thus often less responsibility and less money) than men? It’s a choice, and isn’t choice what women have been begging to have for generations? Here’s the problem – it’s still not much of a choice to care for children. It’s still not as socially acceptable for men to stay home with the kids while the women work. There was an article in the New York Times Magazine this week – When Mom and Dad Share It All. It’s an interesting look at attempts to share the load as equally as possible. The fact that this even merits attention in a national Sunday magazine shows it’s obviously not the norm.

How many guys around my age think they’ll end up working part time or quitting when they have kids? I do wonder what it’s like to have that pressure of being expected (by society, if not by your wife) to support a few people. At times I do think it might be nice some day to have kids and get to hang out with them. My mother worked really hard at home to make sure my sister and I turned out normal. She didn’t go back to work until I was in high school, and while I don’t think she resents us for that, I know I appreciate her for it.

Well, it’s an interesting day for media.  

First off, Fox News. Well, Fox News and the media. And the folks who control and reward the media.

Have you heard about Barry Nolan? He was fired from his TV news job. He did something CRAZY. Insane. I can’t believe anyone could have done anything so horrendous. Seriously, you won’t believe what he did. You ready?

He protested Bill O’Reilly being awarded the Governor’s Award at the Emmy’s. The Governor’s Award exists to “recognize outstanding achievements in the television industry. The feats and commitment of [Governor’s Award Recipients] are extraordinary and unique, falling beyond the scope of our annual awards.” Sadly, I don’t think being woefully ignorant and narcissistic makes for an extraordinary or unique person these days.

Barry Nolan was (rightfully) shocked and wrote to his colleagues in protest when he learned that this supposed honor would be bestowed on such an undeserving person. They demurred. So guess what he did? He compiled a sampling of some of the absurd and inaccurate rantings Mr. O’Reilly has foisted upon the world and distributed copies at the Emmy ceremony. 

And he was fired.

Now, a reporter becoming the story can be unappealing. Anderson Cooper turned his outrage at the Katrina Response into the Anderson Cooper hour. But I have to say that I think this was an appropriate protest. It was clever, it was not disruptive (he didn’t storm the stage, or even yell ‘boo’ when O’Reilly went on stage), and the comments he reproduced spoke for themselves.

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The other issue I wanted to bring up today is the Women’s Media Center’s new campaign “Sexism Might Sell, But I’m Not Buying It.”  They are shining a light on an issue that, unfortunately, has been pretty prevalent this campaign season: sexism in the media.

I’m not a huge Hillary Clinton fan, but I do think she’s been an effective Senator representing my interests. Nonetheless, I voted for Obama in the primary, and hope to have the chance to vote for a winning presidential candidate for the first time when I vote for him again in November.

But the thing is, I don’t dislike her because she’s a woman. And I do think that she has been treated unfairly by the media. Her appearance (Cleavage? On a woman? THE HORROR), her voice (Oh, she reminds men of their nagging wives. Clearly she’s not qualified to lead the country), and even her ability to bear children (God forbid someone with PMS has their finger on the big red button) have all been used as fodder for those who can’t keep their sexism under wraps.

I find it disgusting that I live in a city that has yet to have a female mayor, in a state that hasn’t had a female governor, in a country that hasn’t had a female president. 52% of the folks in the country are female – 16% of our members of congress are as well.

Why is that? Is it because women have the integrity to not just vote for a woman because she’s a woman, while there are plenty of men who will not vote for a woman because she’s a woman? Or is that me just being sexist toward men? Is it because women don’t have as much money, or are busy having children, or are doing things to help others in different ways? Should I be concerned if men are underrepresented in some fields?

I don’t know the answer to general under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. But I do know that it makes me mad. I suppose I could run for office, although I don’t think I’d really like it.

I hope you’ll check out the Women’s Media Center video that shows some of the more painfully egregious sexist comments from this campaign season.

Film With Same-Sex Parents Splits School District

There is a documentary about many different types of families – step-families and interracial families – designed to educate young children. Evesham Township, New Jersey has stopped showing it, because one of the families shown is a gay couple who adopted children.

I am completely closed minded on at least one thing. If I date someone who doesn’t think that gay people deserve the same rights as straight people, or think being gay is “evil” or a “sin”, the date is over. I can tolerate differing viewpoints on welfare, belief in god, taxation, stem cell research. But not gay rights. I’m an extremist when it comes to treating people equally.  

So this article really bothered me. Not because I don’t think that parents have a right to control what their children are exposed to (people will continue to teach their children racism, bigotry and misogyny outside of school), but because this decision means that they are controlling what OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN are exposed to. Instead of allowing parents to opt out of letting their kids watch the video, the district banned the showing of the video.  

One quote really pissed me off: “Something that controversial should have been discussed,” Ms. Stepnowski said. The children “shouldn’t learn questionable things in school that they’re not ready for and don’t understand.”

“That controversial”?! “Questionable”?! Really? How is this STILL controversial? I’ve yet to see an anti-gay argument that isn’t based in religion, so if it’s controversial because of someone’s religious beliefs . . . too bad. Your religion shouldn’t govern how another person’s child is taught.

ARG.

I did, however, enjoy the quote that ends the article:

“People who don’t want the school to show the video say, ‘We can teach our own kids.’ Sure you can. But who’s going to teach you?”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.