(no subject)
More on Sally Ride. I can't believe how shocked and saddened by her death. It seemed - felt, I remember feeling this - like the beginning of something back when I was 13 years old. As an adult, I am already vividly aware how few young women go into physics and engineering (even as E and I are doing our best to expose animal-loving R to life sciences at every opportunity knowing that even biology can be a hard sell with girls for so many reasons). To read about Sally Ride's career in sum in her obituaries it seems - feels, I feel this - like there is so little different for women in physics and engineering between when I was 13 and now that I am 43.
Also, I remember knowing that she was married to another astronaut when I was 13 - as opposed to not knowing until after her death that she was with a woman for most of her adult life. As a journalist, it's easy to confirm and report a fact like that, "married." I think that might be another privilege of marriage, its reportable factualness, as opposed to the fungible vagueness of "partner."
Also, I remember knowing that she was married to another astronaut when I was 13 - as opposed to not knowing until after her death that she was with a woman for most of her adult life. As a journalist, it's easy to confirm and report a fact like that, "married." I think that might be another privilege of marriage, its reportable factualness, as opposed to the fungible vagueness of "partner."