Letter to the Editor
Campus Times
October 18, 1996
Dear Editor,
I must clarify a misuse of terminology in Scott Mac Kay's column ["Affirmative
action needs adjustment," Oct. 11]. He repeatedly referred to the rights
of Americans against gender discrimination, when in fact the rights he was
referring to are rights against sexual discrimination. Sexual discrimination
is discrimination based upon whether a person has an "M" or "F"
on his/her driver's license. There are laws to protect Americans from this
sort of discrimination. Gender discrimination is based upon how a person
presents his/herself. Gender discrimination is not protected in any laws,
except in a few cities (Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Cruz) and the state
of Minnesota. By these laws, or lack there of, an employer does have the
right to discriminate if he/she doesn't like the length of your hair, if
you have visible tattoos or what he/she considers unusual body piercings
(for Disneyland it's limited to one earring in each ear for women), if you
wear too "feminine" or too "masculine" attire, basically
even if he/she doesn't like the way you look. If you can find a way to turn
it into sexual discrimination, you might have a case; if not, well you're
just out of luck. There are no laws to support you.
The mix-up in the usage of the terms "sex" and "gender"
are common. Sex is a physical description of the body and reproductive capabilities.
Gender is a description of the role a person plays or portrays in daily
life.
Mark Pietrzak
Technical Director, Theater Department