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International Women’s Day
A couple of years ago, I decided to leave the beloved City of Angels and head back to my native Silicon Valley. Fortunately for me, I knew what I was getting myself back into; the male-dominated industry of technology. Leaving Hollywood wasn’t difficult for me in the wake of the #MeToo movement. It was a storm in which I didn’t want to get caught up. The movement belonged to the women who had been shamed and abused for years. While I was subjected to sexism and saw much too much “behind-the-scenes”, it was something that I could come to terms with and move on from. I held out hope that perhaps the tech industry had evolved from its days of extreme sexism. After all, all the major corporations were throwing money at campaign ads that preached zero tolerance for sexism.
My first day back in Silicon Valley, I could see that there had been little to no change. It wasn’t long before I realized that I’d be a target again. Targeted by men who default to sexism and belittlement. Men who cannot even understand how extremely dominant their behavior is towards women.
I could have taken it personally, but I laughed it off. If anything, I felt sorry for these men whose pledge of allegiance to an old school of thought that I not only pray will retire soon, but have every expectation that it will, for in every realm and endeavor the excellent and dedicated work of women knocks out that…
