ext_27351 ([identity profile] dameruth.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] dreamer_easy 2008-12-17 07:18 pm (UTC)

When I was growing up a fan in the 80s in Oregon, all the fans I knew well were female, but then, they were my particular friend group and we were a bunch of total fangeeks. We gamed, read books, watched SF&F TV and movies, some of us squeed (some didn't), many of us wrote some rudimentary form of fanfic, etc. Since we pretty much kept to our little circle (by choice), we never really ran into discrimination issues. It probably helped that there was no organized fandom in the area -- we read about things like clubs and cons and all that, but it seemed like reports from another world that was depressingly far away.

The comic book stores were certainly all-male bastions, but I don't recall being particularly discriminated against -- I was pretty much there to just buy what I wanted and get it home ASAP so I could read and enjoy. The guys behind the counter were quick enough to take my money and hand the baggie of goods over, and that was all I cared about.

I will note that, based on what little I could see of larger-scale US Doctor Who fandom at that time (PBS fundraising breaks staffed by fans, correspondence with penpals, etc.), it was *overwhelmingly* female, especially when compared to the gaming and comics fandoms.

Since then, I've done a fair amount with regional cons, apas and some online fandom groups, and have really only experienced gender discrimination-type issues at stores; until just recently there was a gaming store in the mall that might as well have put up "no icky gurls allowed" signs (they would talk down to female customers, be slow to wait on us even when there was nobody else at the counter, etc.) so us icky gurls took our business and our money elswhere.

When I was beaten up or ostracized by peers as a teen, it was largely by other girls, and had nothing to do with fandom. It was the "too smart / not enough friends to travel in a pack 24 hours a day" syndrome more than anything else. One learned never to admit one's test scores aloud and to never be alone in isolated spots.

Post a comment in response:

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
No Subject Icon Selected
More info about formatting