I don’t think it’s an either/or situation — I spend a lot of time and energy thanking people who helped paved the way for me to get here, including both male and female colleagues, peers, and mentors. And I’m extremely grateful on a daily basis for people who support me both personally and professionally to get where I am. I just actually wrote a leadership piece for Intelligently thanking one of my male mentors for helping me learn to challenge the status quo, and I also wrote a piece on how many parents and coaches have changed women’s sports through their support, so in no way, shape, or form am I ungrateful or jaded. I just think it’s important to call out that women still here this and that it can hold them back, so giving voice to how it feels to hear that and owning it differently sets a tone for how to move forward with it rather than letting it hold you back. I appreciate that some folks don’t see or understand that, but I think the response from so many women suggests I’m not alone there.

I applaud you for cheering on your girls and encouraging them, and hope they never hear exclusionary terms because of their gender. But if they do I hope they feel the support of women and men who encourage them to keep going, and that’s the ultimate hope of the article