HippyCentral

Ok, let me start this by saying that this is probably the least important thing you will read today. This happened to me, and in the grand scheme of things is totally inconsequential. I get that.

I’m also not comparing this to all the real horrible sexist things that happen to women all the damned time – gropings in public, paying twice as much for the same product, and all the other stupid/wrong/hurtful/scary stuff I don’t have to deal with because of my chromosomes.

But this happened to me, and it upset me, so I need to get it off my chest. And hopefully the people involved here will come away from it enlightened, changed, or at least slightly bored.

So, last night I was sat at home, watching a bad/classic movie, bimbling around on Twitter and reliving my memories of the Manchester Beer festival from 2 nights ago – wishing I was back there of course!

I spotted a Tweet about their choice of glasses – which is about the only thing I found wrong with the festival, and I waded in.

The Original Tweet – note the author is not me.

Loving my lady's glass at @MancBeerFest #beer #manchester pic.twitter.com/MzedAkDYAN

— Helen McBride (@helenymo) January 22, 2016

How the Beer Festival Account RTd it

Good. Though we note there are many gentlemen also sporting that model at #MBCF16. https://t.co/LTS5Knpqzr

— Manchester Beer Fest (@MancBeerFest) January 22, 2016

I didn’t like the choice of glasses, as I prefer a handle on the side – although if they’d had “proper” snifter glasses that would be good too. Unfortunately, my response didn’t convey all of that to every reader.

@MancBeerFest only because you're not doing proper half pint glasses with handles any more

— Hippyjim (@hippyjim) January 22, 2016

Someone immediately picked up on this, and assumed I was complaining about the “girlyness” of the glass – despite me not being the one to call it a “lady’s glass” and my explaining my objection in the tweet.

@MancBeerFest @hippyjim I didn't know glasses were gendered. I think I've been drinking wrong.

— Steph Shuttleworth (@MissMustardBlog) January 22, 2016

It’s irritating to me that the tweeter here didn’t include the original actual sexist commenter, and only me. Our “lady’s glass” owner has no idea what she did.

I responded in a hamfisted attempt to explain.

@MissMustardBlog @MancBeerFest all glasses are female. Ask any pagan. But a handle at the bottom means you warm your beer as you hold 'em

— Hippyjim (@hippyjim) January 22, 2016

While writing this post, my explanation got some responses, and I think the misunderstanding has been cleared up.

@hippyjim @MancBeerFest that's a pretty fair pagan argument.

— Steph Shuttleworth (@MissMustardBlog) January 23, 2016

Unfortunately the tweet dissing the sexist old hippy has been liked by a female beer writer who I respect and whose work I enjoy – and who I’ve helped out on at least one occasion (in another guise so she probably didn’t recognise me). So now I’m just another of those male idiots who think women shouldn’t drink beer, and if they do it should be from a delicate little glass instead of a manly one.

Any cursory look at my Tweets (all of which get echoed here because I’m too lazy to write actual blogposts) will show that I’m actually quite a vocal feminist – I hate sexism, racism and most other “isms” with a passion, and do my best to stand up against them – hoping my 40 something white middle class maleness goes in some way towards helping those being discriminated against to understand we’re not all like that. It’s not my fault I’m not being discriminated against. It is my fault if I don’t say something when I see it happening.

Yes, yes, I know this is nothing. I know it’s just me worrying about my own image, but c’mon – at what point is it sexist to assume a guy is sexist because he’s male?

I partly blame the Twitter format for this one. Its very shallow short comments are easy to misconstrue – and it’s too easy to reply to something without seeing the whole picture. But some blame for the upset/incorrect indignation must also be laid at the feet of everyone involved – except maybe the Beer Festival tweeter who did their best to gently tackle the implied sexism of the original “lady’s glass” comment.

Oh wait – can I call her sexist? (awaits the backlash)

** Update **: Nope, she still thinks I’m the one who made the remark and is now ignoring me. Guilty by association. How dare I defend my reputation, after all, I’m just a whining sexist bloke, right?

@hippyjim I'm sorry I upset you. Hope the like enlightens you. Please don't worry about creating a larger issue by writing stuff.

— Steph Shuttleworth (@MissMustardBlog) January 23, 2016

I have no idea how to repair this now. Damage done.