Feminists

that I've experienced in the past and will probably happen again (though perhaps not to the same degree.) If I even speak proportionally, I'll be treated as a controlling bitch, or weird, or something. So is that my believing my opinion is inferior or a result of an action by men?

Also, when I was younger and sometimes today, I withhold opinions because it just gives men another avenue through which to hit on me. Like, they think I'm interested in them or something, or they do a teasing thing, or they use it as a reason to e-mail me about the point later. We have to police our words lest they in any way invite unwanted attention, even though it's not our fault. I'm the one who will have to deal with the consequences--no one else.

I guess my choice in the matter is that I don't like interrupting and bloviating, and if I have to do that to talk then I feel like I'm violating my own standards.

Finally, I do think women "control" conversations a lot more than people realize, although it tends to be in a way in which we end up not getting credit. In other words, we make connections between people and topics, suggest new topics, etc. Most of my professional career has involved suggesting things that other people run with, for which they later take full credit. I have the satisfaction of knowing I got my opinion in there to shape things, but then I'm invisible, which today seriously pisses me off and I refuse to do. But I think this has been the pattern of most women throughout history.

Maybe they should also ask who starts topics, not how much airtime is used, because I think that'd show something different.