Women in the Boys’ Club

[txradioguy]

An interesting topic came up at a table of fellow media professionals at which I was the only female seated with six men. One of the guys said to me, “I don’t mean to be rude or to start anything negative, but why do women feel they need their own [organizations] within our industry? The firearms industry is small enough as it is. We could really use the strength in numbers.”

I admitted to the guy that I understood his point. It’s definitely important for the 2A community to stand together. But women appreciate their own groups, events, classes, meetings and even sections of magazines (like in our very own Concealed Carry Magazine), because we often have very different experiences from the men in our industry and it’s beneficial for us to share those experiences — both good and bad.

While there have definitely been great strides and accomplishments on the side of women and firearms, unfortunately, there are bad experiences as well. It’s certainly not everywhere, and it likely hasn’t happened to everyone, but in a male-dominated industry, women often have to prove themselves over and over again. Sadly, women also have to deal with negativity and cruelty. And while we all know that harassment exists, when it happens to you, especially if you are new to the industry, it’s deeply disturbing and often difficult to know how to react in an appropriate manner. For example, a happily married industry friend of mine was in the media room at SHOT Show. This would seemingly be a comfortable, innocuous place to get work done. But as she sat, minding her own business, a guy came into the room, sidled up very close to her, looked her up and down and proceeded to make lewd remarks and hit on her. Not a good enough example? Another friend of mine was out for drinks with one of her biggest industry clients when the president of the company repeatedly grabbed her butt … while her husband was just a few feet away! Or there’s the firearms instructor candidate who announced in a co-ed class that women aren’t fit to shoot guns, let alone teach others how to do so.

Aside from the gawking or groping or the downright rude remarks, women also experience a lot of dismissive behaviors. An instructor friend of mine mentioned that two female students purchased a small-framed revolver because their “law enforcement friend” told them that semi-automatics would cut their hands open if they got too close to the slide. They spent hours in the gun store … and left with a gun they ended up hating. Or how about another woman who went to a local gun store to look at a specific pistol (a Glock 34) but was told by the salesman, “A Glock isn’t a good first gun for a woman.” And beyond just issues with firearms, another friend lamented that her most disappointing moment occurred when she discovered the reason she wasn’t hired by a training organization. “Even though they acknowledged I was a respected firearms instructor and recognized firearms freedom advocate in my state,” she said, “I was ‘too overweight’ and didn’t reflect the ‘attractive, sexy and fit’ image of their team members.”

More: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/women-boys-club/

[Smokin Joe]

Thoughts...

There are jerks everywhere, unfortunately.
Hitting on someone's wife is wrong, no matter where or when.
Doing so like a boor is usually cause for a lesson in manners.
 
It's pretty obvious that some people are more focused on appearance than competence, if that is the only reason why the larger woman wasn't hired. Unfortunately, such practices make people think everyone has to be in good enough shape for MMA or something to carry and train--which negates the whole idea of Sam Colt's 'equalizer'.  It's the people who aren't necessarily the most physically fit who have the most to gain by being armed in a situation.

If someone has done the research to know what specific model and make of firearm they want, chances are they're ready to try it out--whether they are male or female.

Best advice is to buy the firearm that fits your hand, points naturally, and has the best stopping power.

[verga]

Thoughts:
1) Years ago I was able to audit a CCW class. It was about 25% female. The instructor got up and began his spiel about safety etc... He looked around the room and said "Now I know some of you gentlemen may have heard from your daddy's that women shouldn't be handling guns....Well I am here to tell you that your Daddy was wrong and very well might have been a jerk." Dead silenced until I and several other began to applaud.
2) I have no problem with women having their own clubs magazines etc.... Everyone has their own likes/ dislikes/ preferences. That is why there are hot rod magazines , classic car magazines, and sports car magazines. There are magazines for "Fine woodworking", and weekend woodworking. Each to his or her own.
3) Several years ago a women I work with asked me: "What kind of gun should I buy?" My response: One that you are comfortable with, that fits you properly and that you are willing to get the proper training with and practice with to the point that you can use it comfortably and consistently. I took her out and let her try several of my firearms, but let her know that ultimately it was her choice.

Last year I took the CCW class down here in VA it was about 25% female. When we got to the shooting part it was very clear that about half of the women had just been handed firearms by a significant male in their lives. Almost all of them had semi autos that they could not rack, were too heavy for them, or too big for their hands. We switched them over to a Ruger MK I I had or MK II the instructor had and all of them qualified the next go round.
It is important that beginners enjoy themselves. You don't want them to punish themselves. Hitting a target is tough enough with a pistol, you don't want to punish them by over gunning.
My wife can shoot my .44 Mag with the 240 grain jacketed hollow points just fine, but I started her out with the .22 cal. and let her work her way up through the .38 Spl. and .357 mag.
Before I let her shoot any of them of taught her how to unload them and make them safe. Once she knew how to do that she felt much more comfortable around firearms.

[Smokin Joe]

Thoughts:
1) Years ago I was able to audit a CCW class. It was about 25% female. The instructor got up and began his spiel about safety etc... He looked around the room and said "Now I know some of you gentlemen may have heard from your daddy's that women shouldn't be handling guns....Well I am here to tell you that your Daddy was wrong and very well might have been a jerk." Dead silenced until I and several other began to applaud.
2) I have no problem with women having their own clubs magazines etc.... Everyone has their own likes/ dislikes/ preferences. That is why there are hot rod magazines , classic car magazines, and sports car magazines. There are magazines for "Fine woodworking", and weekend woodworking. Each to his or her own.
3) Several years ago a women I work with asked me: "What kind of gun should I buy?" My response: One that you are comfortable with, that fits you properly and that you are willing to get the proper training with and practice with to the point that you can use it comfortably and consistently. I took her out and let her try several of my firearms, but let her know that ultimately it was her choice.

Last year I took the CCW class down here in VA it was about 25% female. When we got to the shooting part it was very clear that about half of the women had just been handed firearms by a significant male in their lives. Almost all of them had semi autos that they could not rack, were too heavy for them, or too big for their hands. We switched them over to a Ruger MK I I had or MK II the instructor had and all of them qualified the next go round.
It is important that beginners enjoy themselves. You don't want them to punish themselves. Hitting a target is tough enough with a pistol, you don't want to punish them by over gunning.
My wife can shoot my .44 Mag with the 240 grain jacketed hollow points just fine, but I started her out with the .22 cal. and let her work her way up through the .38 Spl. and .357 mag.
Before I let her shoot any of them of taught her how to unload them and make them safe. Once she knew how to do that she felt much more comfortable around firearms.

Good thoughts, and good advice. Batter the .380 or the .38 she will shoot well enough and comfortably enough to be proficient with, that some .45 she will flinch at the thought of firing.