Sarah Lacy
Responding to a Sexist Remark in a
Business Setting
This story from Valley Wag is a great example of an effective response to a sexist remark from a stranger in a business setting. At a conference on tech blogging, a reporter transcribed the following conversation between BusinessWeek columnist and author Sarah Lacy and an unidentified man. Lacy directly challenges the remark and then briefly explains why his comment was offensive. When he ignores her explanation, she quickly disengages.
Man: “You girls are really lovely you must work in PR.”
Lacy: “Did you really just say that? That’s incredibly insulting. Never say that to a woman in any business setting.”
Man: “No, I just mean because every pretty girl I’ve met here is in PR.”
Lacy: “Yes, I know what you meant. That’s why it’s insulting. It’s like assuming a woman in an office is a secretary.”
Man: “Blah blah.”
Lacy: “You know what? There’s a lot of people I actually want to talk to here.” (walks off)
(Administrator note: We believe she used the example of a secretary not to diminish that role but to make the point that it’s always wrong to presume to know a woman’s professional position just because of her gender.)
Have you ever felt great about how you handled a sexist remark in a business setting? Tell us about what you did and why you think it worked.
(Photo: Brian Solis)
