lovely gentlemen in the gym

[of_the_trees]

three days of weight training down.

on the plus side, I learned to use the rowing machine and I really like the rhythm and the view (big trees, sky)

but then there I was just working my triceps, last exercise in my last set, thinking about showering and getting food, when these guys working out right next to me had a conversation something like this

Comments

[bareftinthesnow]

My vicarious reaction:

[of_the_trees]

love the photo.
it would be sweet if there was like "womyn only workout hour" but alas there is not. Maybe I'll make a proposition?

In the meantime, i doubt my muscle development will ever catch up with that of the guys at the gym (especially the two I was talking to, who were rather largely muscled), so I can't pull a dragonfly on them. I'll have to use the powers of my mind...?

[spiritofjoy]

Whoah! Good for you for being assertive and sticking to your guns, so to speak! =D

[of_the_trees]

Thanks! I hope they don't come beat me up now!

[girlintheclouds]

yes, awesome for not keeping quiet and voicing your thoughts! :)

[of_the_trees]

Thanks! Hope they don't hold a grudge. They've got giant muscles.

[shadesogrey]

Wow, good for you.

I think lots of people (me included) would have felt angry but bottled it to avoid confrontation.

Interesting that it was mostly guy 1 making the remarks but guy 2 being defensive.

[of_the_trees]

oh, I had that wrong, the guy making the comments *was* the one being all defensive.

In retrospect I feel a little uncertain about whether I should have said something...
on the one hand obviously I have a right to say if I'm offended in a public space. and it's important to me to do so. I think I handled it pretty well, calm and assertive, maybe a little too nervous if anything.

on the other hand, as my mom said, what if they see sometime when i'm on campus at night? what if they're pissed off enough to come harrass me in some worse way?

[shadesogrey]

A problem I think is that calling someone out on sexism like this rarely changes base attitudes unless the callout comes from a peer they respect. Though if it embarassed them at all, it might stop them from saying similar things in the future in public.

Bear spray?

[of_the_trees]

Yeah, I figure at least they might think twice before speaking like that in that space, at least if there's a woman nearby. So the space would be slightly more woman-friendly.

My grand plan is to get an MP3 player, load it will rockin' tunes ONLY by powerful ladies and totally tune everyone else out.

A couple guys have been really nice and not at all patronizing when I asked for help in finding/using a particular machine. Too bad it only takes one bad experience to make me wary of everyone.