today, i was playing softball. i have been playing for about 15 years and can acknowledge that i am pretty good. we were playing a team that had their stand full of heckling fans. as happens when playing softball, someone hit it to third base, i caught it and threw them out. let me clarify, a man hit it and me, a woman, got him out. end of inning.
next thing i hear is--you better check her for testosterone.
this was jarring for me to hear. it makes me cringe a little just to write it. but, that is what happened.
what i know, is that what was said is less about me and more about the person who said it. my perception is that there are multiple explanations for feeling the need to say that:
1. masculinity is delicate and needs to be cared for because it will break
2. fear of approval from colleagues
3. embarrassment of being showed up by a woman
4. intimidation of me as a player
5. strict adherence to gender norms and hierarchy
6. anger for getting out
7. intimidation of that a woman can show a man up
8. displaced emotions related to gender roles/norms/expectations
what gets me is that the comment that was made was an excuse in and of itself. an excuse for poor behavior. an excuse to belittle someone (me). an excuse to blame external forces, when there were no external forces.excuses are weapons. they hurt, injure, and destroy. if they feel they need weapons like that to win a softball game, so be it.
they lost. 21-8. i guess excuses don't work after all...
