Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    For a number of years by wife was selling Tupperware (and making
    pretty good money at it) and I found myself in a number of situations
    where I was a definite minority. For example, I demonstrated at quite
    a number of parties myself. Naturally, most of the time I was the
    only male. At first I found I was slightly uncomfortable because
    I was treated as a bit of an oddity. A man at a Tupperware party??
    My feelings reflected the feelings of the woman that there was a
    man at a gathering that 'should' have been all women. I got used
    to this (easy enough because being a oddity got me to more parties
    and made me more money) after a while.
    
    At other gatherings, those were the women were mostly Tupperware
    managers whose husbands were also involved, the women did not
    treat me as an oddity and I was very comfortable. 
    
    			Alfred

    (I've said this is another topic) yep! I was 11, in a French class of
    about 40, I was the only male (apart from the teacher). I was
    _distinctly_ uncomfortable. I was glad when the situation reverted
    back to a more even split, a term later.
    
    All those giggling girls around me...
    
    Pete. 

    There is a man who goes to the toning salon on the same days I do.
    There is, of course, no restriction, but he is the only male that
    they have enrolled so far.  It's like a "Gloria Stevens" or "Woman's
    World" type of thing, with motorized tables.  He doesn't seem to
    uncomfotable and all the women talk to him.  He probably figured
    it that way!
    
    Stacie

I have a group of friends many of who are women.

It is frequently the case that we may go out dancing or even on a raft 
trip.

About 2 years ago I was the only male on the rafting trip with 7 other 
women.  I forgot about that detail until they reminded me.  It seemed 
more of an issue to them than to me.

Two weeks ago I went to the Channel in Boston with 3 of these women.

The hardest part is giving each one the attention they deserve.  They 
especially like the hugs...

- Howard

    
    	It was freshman year at college.  I walked into my freshman
    science class, sat down, and began to take notes.  It didn't take
    very long for me to notice that out of thirty-six students, I was
    the only male.
    	This might have been less of a shock...had I not come from an
    all-male prep high school.
    	After a while I became accustomed to it.  The fact that my class
    had a 7:1 (female:male) ratio dictated nothing else but to get used
    to it.
        Needless to say, the rewards from such an environment were quite...
    interesting.
    
    						Scott
    						 :^)
    

      I always loved to go out "with the girls" for a night on the town,
    and *never* felt uncomfortable. Did get a little lonely when they
    all went to the ladies room though...

    Oh boy!  Does this bring back some memories.  It was the summer
    before our Senior year in College and my S.O. and I had finally
    decided we would get married at Christmas-time.  In the meantime,
    she had entered this intense 12-month Medical Technology program
    across town.  As I was managing a local FM radio station that summer,
    we got to see quite a bit of each other when shifts worked out right.
    Nancy was one of 24 women in this program.  As I was the only "fella"
    who was around for the summer, it turned out I was expected to show
    them where the action was around town.
    
    The high point was the evening I walked into the local bar, held
    the door open and then told 23 women where our table was as they
    filed in.  The look on the faces of the other guys has been the
    source of a lot of amusing memories!
    
    I should note I had all 23 women to myself for all of 30 seconds
    before the hordes descended, looking for introductions.  ;-)
    
    It was interesting to note that because Nancy was away (at home)
    that evening, I had 23 "chaperones" keeping an eye on me to make
    certain I did not stray.
    
    That was 16 years ago.  Now, we have 2 daughters, I'm the only guy
    around the house.  Some things never change?  

    re: .0
    
    I guess its just how you react. I feel MORE uncomfortable with groups
    of men because all they talk about is getting laid, how cold their
    women are, baseball and other "professional" sports, the latest
    "sports cars", and "men talk".
    
    I grew up in a "matriarchial" household, worked as a clerk in an
    insurance company, and when I used to go to a "singles" club, it
    was female dominated from 17:1 down to 1:1 (very rare there were
    ever more men than women).
    
    I guess if your "more used to men", then you tend to be uncomfortable
    around women. (or vice versa). Fortuanatley many of the places I
    go today the men are being more "liberated" from older forms, and
    feel more comfortable tallking about interiors decorations, their
    gardens, hiking, investements, health concerns, etc.
    
    Bob
    

    
<    I guess its just how you react. I feel MORE uncomfortable with groups
<   of men because all they talk about is getting laid, how cold their
<  women are, baseball and other "professional" sports, the latest
< "sports cars", and "men talk".
    
   Bull_Shit... What a crock of generalization....! 

    re: .9
    
    Note the obscenity ...... case in point .....

    
    No obscenity there.... although some consider BS profane.
    
    Anyway, my method of characterization is peripheral to the
    discussion.

    I've read that most men will see a group with 70% men and 30% women as
    a 50-50 split, but I have the reverse reaction.  In groups with more
    men, it seems like something's missing and I start to feel a little
    unnatural.  (So why am I in MENNOTES?  Yo, don't bust my chops, OK?)
    
    I spent 3 years living at an "officially" women's college.  It had a
    cooperative program going with the "officially" men's college that I
    went to.  Some number of students could swap living arrangements but
    not enough to make for a truly 50-50 mix.  I was generally more
    comfortable at the women's than at the men's college.
    
    The bathrooms in my dorms were co-ed, too, so you didn't have to feel
    lonely when your friends had to go.  (: >,)
    
    The main problem with the gender split was the same one that some male
    frequenters of WOMMANNOTES have written about.  The school I lived at
    was known for a strongly feminist point of view and there were times
    when a man could feel unwelcome.  When you're feeling a little
    oppressed for other reasons (lower class background, bad romance,
    whatever), it's natural to be self-righteous and snap back. 
    
    It took a while, but I finally came to the conclusion that a little
    backlash is not only unavoidable but sort of healthy - a white male
    _should_ occasionally get a taste of what unconscious discrimination
    feels like.  You don't have to agree with it or support it, but you can
    learn to live with it without moaning all the time, just like most
    people do. 
    
    Since college, I haven't even felt _that_ brand of discomfort when I'm
    out with groups of women. (I haven't met many lesbian separatists
    lately.)  I will admit to feeling queasy when they start in on how nice
    so-n-so's buns are, though. 
    
    Ray