My situation is interesting because I haven't worked in tech because of my experiences pre-22/leaving college. I was raised by geeks and carted off to computer shows on my dad's hip, started programming in elementary school, etc. So I spent a lot of time in tech spaces but not professional environments (I mean, this was also the 90s and early 00s so there were just fewer professional tech spaces).
Everybody was super chill until I was about 12. Then things got very ugly, very quickly. Anytime it was known that I was a female teenager, it was terrible, especially as one that was (at the time) better than some of the males. I'm also gay, so at the time I was stuck in this horrible situation of often being surrounded by dudes ~5 years older than I was who were a.) very creepy and b.) might be homophobic (including violent because again, 15-20 years ago) if I came out. And of course all the ones who are nice until they learn you'll never date them, or the ones that viewed me as a challenge/trophy of some sort.
Very weird to have aged both in and out of creepy male fuckability: Most of the creeps don't go for women over 25 (and I finally look like I'm in my mid-20s) unless they're elderly, and I can beat up most 75-year old men, so that's less scary.
I have some sympathy for the boys as an adult, because a lot of them were bullied a lot, but...dudes, you think I had it better? I had to deal with their bullying and yours. Thanks for that.
Everybody was super chill until I was about 12. Then things got very ugly, very quickly. Anytime it was known that I was a female teenager, it was terrible, especially as one that was (at the time) better than some of the males. I'm also gay, so at the time I was stuck in this horrible situation of often being surrounded by dudes ~5 years older than I was who were a.) very creepy and b.) might be homophobic (including violent because again, 15-20 years ago) if I came out. And of course all the ones who are nice until they learn you'll never date them, or the ones that viewed me as a challenge/trophy of some sort.
Very weird to have aged both in and out of creepy male fuckability: Most of the creeps don't go for women over 25 (and I finally look like I'm in my mid-20s) unless they're elderly, and I can beat up most 75-year old men, so that's less scary.
I have some sympathy for the boys as an adult, because a lot of them were bullied a lot, but...dudes, you think I had it better? I had to deal with their bullying and yours. Thanks for that.