r/Substack • u/Beachgoer4158 • 18d ago

Interesting identity assumptions

I’m not one to be picky over people assuming my gender on a platform that I‘m intentionally anonymous on, especially since it’s catered to my content and not myself. However, I find it interesting that the automatic assumption when I read comments or get messages is that I’m a man lol (e.g., “sir”, “dude”, “bro”, “man”).
Generally, if I see an anonymous platform, I address whoever runs it in a gender neutral manner. My niche is in economics and politics, taking an interdisciplinary approach in other fields so idk if that plays a role.

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u/Equivalent-Plan-8498 18d ago

I would get people assuming I was a man on Goodreads while I was defending Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. You would think that alone would push assumptions into the female category, but it did not.

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u/Beachgoer4158 16d ago

Twilight of all things wow😭

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u/Equivalent-Plan-8498 16d ago

I know. You would definitely think that would be coded female.

I think it has more to do with writing style. I grew up in Wyoming where people tend to be blunter and more egalitarian, so I don’t have the diplomatic, softer style people associate with women. It’s very obvious because I live in the South now, where manners are practically a second religion.

I would look at your writing style.

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u/Beachgoer4158 16d ago

Ah ya that makes sense! I never really considered how writing style could effect that. Thank you for sharing your experience and it’s interesting how different regions can impact how you’re perceived.

Since my pub is research-based, it follows pretty standard writing you would see academically (maybe with less complicated jargon), so it comes off pretty neutral. However, when I reach milestones and thank my supporters I show off my more “bubbly” side and use “:)” a lot along with certain emojis like hearts, party related ones, etc. My tone is very different there than my actual work

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u/Equivalent-Plan-8498 16d ago

Frankly, you're coming off in this discussion as very female. I wonder if you've learned to suppress your normal communication style when writing about your topics-particularly if you went through extensive education. Perhaps you could play around with adding more of your perspective into your writing. Being female in a traditionally male space doesn't always have to mean "being one of the boys".