Challenging sexist statements and attitudes from people one can't avoid

ooh yes, I was just about to suggest disingenuousness. I love "Why would that be a bad thing?" and when they splutter and say, well, he's a boy and he shouldn't be like a girl, you can push it and push it and push it
"But why would being like a girl be a bad thing?"
"Do you not like girls?"
"Do all boys have to behave in certain ways for you to be comfortable?"
"He's still a boy even if he [doesxthing] though, isn't he?"
"Can you tell me exactly how [doingxthing] takes away his y chromosome?"

If you can be polite and even curious about his answers to all these questions, while making eye contact and not letting him get away from it - you might have a really good time

I've been thinking about sexist remarks (and how to stop them!) recently - on the back of the new MN feminism wave etc and watching the BBC4 Women program.

I found this very useful blog which I am working my way through.

Here is an extract:

How do I prepare to respond to sexist comments?

Practice makes perfect, so after you determine in which situations you are willing and able to respond to sexist remarks, you might try the following:

1. Think about what you might say in response to the different types of sexist comments. Just like you might practice answering interview questions while driving to and from a job that you are ready to leave, think about what you want to say when people make sexist remarks to you or others.

2. Rehearse. Ask a good friend who is interested in the issue to rehearse possible scenarios with you.

3. Create a support team. Invite friends who care about this issue to agree to support each other as they try new methods for dealing with sexist remarks. Talk about the situations you have dealt with in the past, what you wished you had said, and what worked and what didn?t. Processing your experiences with other people, and knowing they will be there for you when you take a risk in responding to sexist remarks, will make it easier to react in the way that you desire when sexist comments arise.

4. Steel yourself. Decide that it?s worth it, and know that no matter the outcome, you?re far more likely to feel better that you said something than if you didn?t. Remind yourself on a regular basis that it?s worth it to speak up on behalf of women everywhere.

I'd love to know other people's thoughts.

Perhaps we could share sexist remarks here and hopefully some success stories on challenging them?

Disingenuousness can work:

"What's wrong with being a girl?"

"I'm a woman, why would I think that being called a girl is an insult?"

"You say "girl" like it's a bad thing - why's that?"

"He looks like a boy to me."

Look him straight in the eye and wait for the squirming to commence. Why do you and your DS have to put up with this sexist berk?

i think that you need to treat it as a hilarious joke - waaaaaay over the top, and say something along the lines of 'golly, i remember when people really did used to say that stuff about boys, and really did believe all that totally outdated masculinity stuff! i'm so thankful the world is a lot more liberal these days!' and keep laughing. a lot. but i'm dead passive-aggressive, me.

or just say 'look, i'm really sorry, but i'm intrigued by why you keep saying that - do you really believe that each sex has specific character traits that shouldn't be deviated from?' and try and open up a discussion. it might be something that they genuinely haven't thought about at all, and so haven't quite connected what 'you girl' used in that context really means.

but then, if they are genuinely a cast-iron idiot, you might find further proof that their attitude is more than you can stomach.

yuk. horrible. do you really have to spend time with them?