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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

It was acceptable in the 80s

79 replies

Tinlegs · 21/04/2018 12:47

Need to feel a bit more positive about progress. And a laugh. (Or a shocked gasp)

What was acceptable in the 80s if you were at school / work then (Or 90s etc, just liked the title)?

I went to an all girls' school (mostly boarding) on the outskirts of London. Things which were acceptable:

We were regularly flashed while playing rounders on a pitch near a public footpath. A class of 30+ girls and one female teacher and everyone just shrugged. No police, I am pretty sure.

Our Board of Governors was all male and the Chair once openly expressed surprise that girls were studying Maths.

We wore prefects' badges which staff instructed us to pin as close as possible to our shoulders when a certain male Governor came to visit. He liked to examine them closely and touch them, while pinned to our chests.

In part time jobs:

Silver service waitressing involved being trained (by a woman) how not to drop gravy and turkey on a guest if another guest surprised you by putting his hand up your skirt.

There are loads more.

Any of these now would have involved police (and social services). We just accepted it (wrongly) and tried to laugh it off.

OP posts:
Tinlegs · 21/04/2018 13:02

onemorning So sorry. Bloody awful times. Not 100% sure those things have improved at all.

It just seems now like we didn't matter. At the time, I think I failed to be shocked enough. But then I was a child.

OP posts:
HerFemaleness · 21/04/2018 13:02

Teachers being very touchy feely with female pupils. Male teachers obvs. One used to come over to 'inspect' work, he'd put his arm around us and his fingers would be just touching the side of our breast.

Another teacher would go along the desks and deliberately knock pencils etc off the table, he'd duck down to pick them up and look up the skirts of the girls. When I was in his class I'd have been around 13 years old.

Tinlegs · 21/04/2018 13:00

Oh. And a 40 year old married teacher started a relationship with a pupil and, while he lost his job, he was not prosecuted.

OP posts:
Onemorning · 21/04/2018 12:58

The police not charging my stepfather for breaking DM's jaw.

A sixth form teacher joining in when the lads talked about my breasts. Another taking a shine to me (just >this< side of legally appropriate but creepy as hell).

A customer in my cafe joking I must be on my period. I was seventeen.

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