A double standard occurs when a different — and often more rigorous — set of rules is applied to one group of people over another. A lot of people experience double standards based on their gender.
A while ago, Reddit user u/Tekstar12348 asked the question, "What gender double standard really annoys you?"
Here are some of the most infuriating responses:
1. "I got turned down for a job at the state park because it involved occasionally lifting 50-pound bags and, well, girls apparently can't do that."
2. "Going into a store that is considered 'male' (PC store, video game store, car shops, etc.) and the salesperson only talks to my male partner even though I'm the person looking for a product and I'm the buyer."
3. "My daughter can do gymnastics and she’s called athletic, but as soon as her twin brother does gymnastics, he’s 'just weird.'"
4. "I grew up in a country that doesn’t really encourage personal vehicles. As a result, my mechanical knowledge is extremely poor. My girlfriend, whose dad is a mechanic, has tinkered with cars all her life. Every time we walk to an auto parts store to get stuff, the employees never talk to her. Even if they ask me a question and she replies, they continue acting as if she doesn’t exist and keep talking to me."
5. "When I was little, when we were done eating dinner at my aunt’s house, all the women and girls got to cleaning while the men sat in the living room watching TV."
6. "Threatening your daughter’s boyfriend. This is a double standard, but it’s also just a Hollywood trope that some dads think they’re supposed to do, and it’s incredibly creepy."
7. "Heels are part of dress code sometimes, which is bonkers. That stuff gives you back problems if you're not careful."
8. "Stay-at-home dad here. It amazes me how the nurses at doctor appointments constantly try to sideline me in favor of my wife, even though she repeatedly directs them to me because she works and doesn't know all the details that I do."
9. "When I was a teenager, I wasn't allowed out of the house to walk to the local shopping center to hang with my friends (all male). My mom told me it was because I'm a girl, and I'm way more likely to be attacked on my way. If I was a boy, it'd be different."
10. "I'm a female teacher. I only know one man who's a kindergarten teacher, and people constantly make comments to him about how 'women must love that [he's] so good with kids' and he'll be a great dad."
11. “People will say, 'My toddler son is a little heartbreaker! But my toddler daughter will never date, and I’ll threaten any boy who wants to take her on a date!'”
12. "Why do yogurt commercials never feature men? I like yogurt too."
13. "Pockets in clothing. My 3-year-old son has more functional pockets in his pants than my wife does in hers."
14. "Being a female mechanic, it's terrible when guys think you have no idea what you're doing, and they ask for a MAN to check your job."
15. "One double standard that I've benefited from but I still find very saddening: guys being praised as being 'great with kids' for doing the bare minimum."
16. "The expectation and pressure for women to wear makeup in a professional setting."
17. "I'm a female bartender who works with one other woman and four guys. For some reason, it's okay for men to 'tease' us ladies when we make drinks, but I haven't seen that happen to the guys I work with."
18. "I wish it were socially acceptable for guys to hug/hold hands like girls do."
19. "I (female) used to work in a used-Lego store, and the number of guys who thought it was okay to ask me condescending questions was boggling. I actually had a guy ask me if my dad owned the store, since I wouldn't have gotten the job if I wasn't related to the owner."
20. "If women want to be sterilized, they need to be over 30, have children (plural), and get a literal permission slip from their husbands. If men want to be sterilized, it's no problem, and their urologists run actual March Madness specials."
21. "Even though I'm a grown-ass woman, I have a very high-pitched voice, and every time I go on voice chat, I get asked, 'Are you a boy or a girl?' I get taken more seriously when people think I'm a 12-year-old boy than a woman in my twenties."
22. "My son kicks a ball and he's going to be the next Lionel Messi. My daughter kicks a ball and she's a 'tomboy.'"
23. "Medical care, especially as a woman. You can go to the doctor with severe period pains, etc., and be told it's stress or 'You just need to calm down,' yet a man can go in with stomach pain and get sent for scans/tests."
24. "Why aren't a gal's girlfriends just called 'friends'? Why the need to specify?"
25. "Women being referred to as a female [insert profession here]. I think I'll start saying things like 'male police officer' and 'male scientist' just to make a point."
26. "Women who don't interrupt or take back control of a meeting are 'timid' and 'not exhibiting leadership,' but women who do interrupt or attempt to direct are 'controlling' and 'pushy.'"
27. "I'm annoyed by the idea that women are supposed to be happy, positive, cheerful, and sweet. We're supposed to talk about getting our nails done and send emojis and 'awwww' when we text to our friends."
28. And finally: "I've been totally screwed at one car dealer because I'm a woman. They called the next day and doubled the offer on the trade-in when my boyfriend answered."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.