I am no ladette!

I am writing this to gauge community attitude and to ask for help in coming to terms with a term I found rather offensive, as a thirty-something boy, who enjoys lurking in the shadows of verbal ambiguity recently generalised women who ride in a thread about ‘how to get my partner to pillion'…

“but hey glad she doesnt want to (pillion) all the time ..you know what i mean.. but it could even be worse it could turn in to a ladette and want to start riding with ya”

I took offence to that comment and felt that this generalisation actually insulted women riders. A ladette is a culturally loaded term which is derived from the male stereotype, the lad, a heavy drinking, womanising lout. Invert that and she ain’t no lady! For starters the term was made prominent when a British tv series was aired on our lifestyle channel ‘From Ladette to Lady’, where the daily dose of life style conversion consisted of aspiring to wearing high heals and pearl necklaces.

Motorcycling is traditionally a male dominated hobby, which has in recent years enjoyed a healthy increase in numbers, but more importantly a strong rise in the percentage of female bike riders. As the shift occurs we move from passive to active, from being accessories (apologies to those that choose to stay pillion for what ever the reason) to being empowered, capable and independent. So what do we call women who ride? Rider! Perhaps at times the need arises to add a classification, which will specify female or woman rider.

I ride and I wear pearls (sometimes) and I reject to conform to an outmoded ideal about how to be a ‘good’ woman. I am not an accessory or a trophy wife. Such antics have no space in my life, especially not to the exclusion of all other. It goes against my ideology.

The first clue we are getting that the author may have a negative attitude to women who ride is when he certainly did not acknowledge the women he was referring to as female human beings. He called them ‘it’, as if they were some shapeshifting entity or animal.

Clearly the author does not approve of women wanting to ride their own bikes with their partners. I find this sexist and it does say a lot about this person, as the comment raises questions about why he rides. He must think of himself to be a lad, which makes his ride a passionate show-off, not a passion to ride. Everyone to their own…but keep your sexist garbage to yourself.

So, do you ride?
Do you ride alongside your partner?
Does that make you a ladette?
Do you approve of being called a ladette?
Your thoughts?

I received a lot of strong responses from female and male riders in forums I floated this at over the last week or so. There were a couple that were too hefty and furious to print and I certainly hope these riders will never meet out there on the road. The general consensus however, was that there is in this case more education needed, but that the fraternity has already come a long way to accept women riders and most of us feel free to be who we are, lippy, nails and all. Not one wanted to be called a ladette. Tomboy, maybe, but that's about as far as it went.



Ps: The saga continues:

[quote="_****##"]lets not pass sexist comments.. the Germaine hero wanna be's will be offended :thumb:[/quote]
Pretty soon after that, he mockingly reminded another member, who had posted a somewhat sexist picture series in a 'funny pictures' thread (which, since my earlier objection, features an added NWS warning) how could you comment in that way..im appalled. He added a picture of Germaine Greer that remarkably resembled a woman my age with simularities to boot.

That's when I got what was happening for all those struggling 'Alpha Males' and my heart went out to those who treat difference with the respect it deserves. Those that allow themselves to respect and welcome difference, who make this, our world, a richer place. Resorting to generalisations and stereotyping is just a coping mechanism to compartmentalise before the threat gets too overwhelming and integration of the new or unusual is inevitable.