Community opinions

Yes, sexism is still an issue in today’s society. Women are objectified and seen as a sexual object. Men, too, are victims of sexism. They are seen as a powerhouse who should be into cars and be handsome. Sexism prevents and hinders many opportunities for both sexes.Liz Keller (11)

I certainly think there are issues with how we ascribe gender identity to people. During campaigns, when female candidates run, there’s always talk of what they’re wearing and how much it costs, but no one ever really questions a male presidential candidate wearing an Armani suit that costs over $1,000. So, as far as sexism goes in the political sphere, I definitely think that it’s still an issue. It’s done by both male and female voters. Female voters are statistically harder on female candidates than they are on male candidates. That’s one of the reasons there’s never been a successful woman candidate for president.Phil Klein (Social Studies Department)

Make more Lego girl people and let them go on adventures and have fun ok!?! Thank you.Charlotte Benjamin, age seven, in a letter addressed to the Lego company

Change the norms and the language will follow.
 Karen McCrindle, director of the Center for French and Linguistics at the University of Toronto-Scarborough

Banning words is like banning books one word at a time. When you tell me to exorcise a word from my vernacular, you are removing one tiny piece of that large and vital freedom, which, by the way, is the same one Sandberg used to make her pitch.David Vienna, author, in an article published on The Huffington Post

This is a word that is symbolic of systemic discouragement of girls to lead. We are not just talking about getting rid of a word… we’re talking about getting rid of the negative messages that hold our daughters back.Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In and member of the Ban Bossy campaign