[Frondo]

Well, of course a man can have valid experiences. A man can't have the experience of being a woman, though, pretty much by definition.

That's not sexism, the claim that a man can't experience life as a woman would. In fact, that seems like a really uncontroversial statement.

[adevine]

I thought there was a fascinating response to a Reddit question a couple years ago by a transgendered woman that asked "How did people react to you after you transitioned?" She said that, as a man, people were much more likely to show interest in her ideas, and she was much more likely to receive praise from customers at her job (IIRC she worked at Subway). As a woman, people were much more interested to hear her talk about her emotions than when she was a man.

I thought it was very interesting, because she essentially "served as her own control." The only thing that changed in the situation was how people perceived her gender - the ideas, feelings and performance were from the exact same person. It certainly made me reflect more on unconscious biases I might have.

[Joky]

> The only thing that changed in the situation was how people perceived her gender

Absolutely not, the "observer" (i.e. herself) is in a different position and probably in different state of mind.

[tomp]

> A man can't have the experience of being a woman, though, pretty much by definition.

I wonder why all those women then assume it's sexism. After all, they don't know what a man's experience in the same situation would be (by the same logic as above). So it might just be common, non-discriminatory dickery.

[Frondo]

Heh, I wondered too, at some point in the distant past, and then, rather than just wonder, I started asking my female friends. I took some care to let them know I was genuinely curious and willing to be open-minded to what they had to say.

Maybe you could do the same, with your female friends? Better to ask than keep on wondering.

[groovy2shoes]

I'm genuinely curious about what your friends had to say. Care to share?