Business men have penises; business women have vaginas…and roles

It recently donned on me that the liberal country in which I live is not as liberal as I thought in terms of the roles men and women both play in the workplace. I myself have always felt that I was presented with professional opportunities just as equitable as that of my male counterparts. However, it has come to my attention that the subject of equality is still in question in today’s corporate environment.

A close gal pal of mine works in a relatively relaxed corporate office that boasts a playful culture with a more or less equal representation from both the male and female contingents. Sounds ideal, and seemingly it is in most cases, until just the other day our girl brought a rather stringent stereotype to the attention of some of her fellow co-workers. She, along with a select group of colleagues (all female), are often asked to cover reception for the regular receptionist while she takes a lunch break or in the event that she falls ill. Hmmm…why would this roster only include gals? Simply put, it would seem that sitting at a reception desk, greeting visitors and answering phones is not considered a male-esque role. Which begs the question…why the hell not? Why in today’s corporate culture are there roles that are more commonly considered female instead of male? You certainly don’t see many blokes in the HR department, or at least it’s an anomaly in my experience.

The best bit of the story is when our subject approaches her trusted male colleagues for a bit of support, only to be scoffed at in a patronizing manor.

Ok, so we won the women’s lib movement, we have the right to vote and we aren’t commissioned to wear skirts (only) to work anymore. Hoorah for the ladies! However, my friends experience only reminds us that there is still a long way to go in the quest for equality in the workplace.

Is it penis envy? No. Would it be refreshing to see a handsome fella sitting behind a reception desk for once? Abso-f*cking-lutely.

That’s all for this week possums, if you’ll excuse me…I have some bras in the oven.

The Summer Olympics Sucks for Canucks

I’ll admit that I haven’t exactly been glued to the TV keeping up-to-date with all that is the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. However, I have managed to catch a few events and monitor the medal tally as this global event is splashed all over every form of media…naturally.

One thing that has occurred to me is the lack luster and downright boring vibe the Summer Olympics has for Canadians. I know a lot of people who are completely dialed into the games, so I’m definitely not speaking for the majority. I just wonder, as it relates to these games, who cares really?

I’ve already expressed my opinion on the Canadian Olympic garb in a previous post, which only supports my case. I also have a few issues with the Olympics being held in a country that violates human rights and is ranked second in the world for producing carbon emissions. I digress, the summer games just aren’t our thing possums.

Thus, let’s break it down Beijing style with the Urban Cowgirl’s Top 5 Olympic Hits and Misses:

5) The medal standings - currently we have 9, putting us at 17th place – not too shabby I suppose. Hit.
4) One of our medals was awarded for, wait for it…the Trampoline. I’m sorry, wha? That’s a miss.
3) 2-time Olympic athlete Ryan Cuthbert is back to compete in the K-2 1000m Men’s Kyak. Given this thriving athlete used to crash on my couch back in the day, I’d like to think my influence had somewhat of an impact. That’s an automatic ‘hit’.
2) Table tennis. Seriously? Why not go ahead and add Parcheesi and Romoli to the mix? Big miss.
1) Michael Phelps. Granted, this part- porpoise/part-human can swim a solid race. However, I’m a bit over the 4 hour NBC special of he and his mama explaining just how special he is. Sorry Mike-o, I’m gonna have to give you a miss.

I simply can’t be bothered to sit in front of the tube watching our poor, pressured athletes succumb to such embarrassment and disappointment. I’m opting for beach volleyball at Kits…minus the medals. In the meantime, the countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is on.

Continuing from last week...

Kits beach congers up a familiar face...and a few other notably bizarre beach-goers.

Exhibit A - A certain Mr. Chad Kroeger of Nickelback fame lounging on the grass with who appeared to be the bands drummer. Hey Chad, ditch the hair-do. This is how you remind me of 10 years ago. Just a tip.

Exhibit B - Unknown bartender practicing his tricks a la Cocktail, juggling 2 bottles and 2 martini shakers whilst gettin down to whatever electro-funk play in his headphones. Hey buddy, Tom Cruise called...he wants his moves back.

Photo credits - Urban Cowgirl via camera phone while sneakishly pretending to text message.

The beautiful people, the beautiful people

So far this summer, I’ve spent most of my weekends at Kits beach assuming the position of a tanorexic and reveling in the non-stop entertainment that is people watching. Yes, this popular summer locale is known for its beautiful people but I’ve noticed more of a likeness to L.A.’s Venice beach in terms of random and strange occurrences. It’s the perfect place to situate for such delights, for example…

Let’s take the cheerleading squad that uses the grassy patch at Cornwall and Yew to try out their tricks. Young, and otherwise miniature girls, fly through the air whilst kicking their legs behind their heads as some strapping young men hoist them up with one hand. Impressive...yet, odd. Is cheerleading seriously a common practice in Canadia? Who knew?

Next up you have the body builder boys sporting low cut v-neck shirts that have been otherwise painted on. I appreciate that they’re trying to flaunt their physique, but come on fellas…pretty sure I saw those shirts at American Apparel in the…ahem, girls section. Just peel the damn things off for f*ck sake, it is summer after all.

Then we have our sugary sweet Japanese gals sunbathing and giggling the day away. Just last weekend I spotted some harajuku types kickin' it in the Kitsilano, one who seemed rather distracted…by herself. While her gal pal lay snoozing beside her, this young lady began a photo montage - of herself - that would end up lasting about 20 minutes. Then, when she was through with her series of self-pics, she proceeded to curl her eyelashes with a contraption resembling that of a tire iron….over and over and over again. I thought to myself ‘oh no sweetie, please stop that...you’re going to pull every one of your eyelashes out. Drop the curler….DROP THE CURLER!’

Parking for the day = $10.
Ticket for drinking in public = $50.
Bizarre-o Vancouverites making a spectacle at Kits beach = priceless.

Gather your inner-gay dahlings and celebrate Pride

Sunshine, sweat and muscles – oh my! Much to my delight - and the delight of 530,000 other spectators - this was the underlying theme of the 30th annual Vancouver Pride Parade. Seriously though possums, it was a grand event demonstrating and celebrating 30 years of gay/bi/lesbian/transgender rights in Vancouver, and what a celebration it was!

Never have I witnessed a more ethnically diverse event. Everyone from members of the aboriginal community to the inclusion of a Bollywood inspired float by Sher Vancouver, a social support group for GLBT Sikhs. There was also a selection of religious groups offering their support to the cause, with one sporting a fabulous Gospel singer accompanied by a 20 person ensemble, which really got the crowd going.

The Pride parade wouldn’t be complete without your typical corporate sponsors and politicians looking for the ‘gay vote’. Yet, whatever their reason for participating, it all garners positive attention to gay rights which is the objective of the parade in the first place.

OK – politics and seriousness aside, let’s move our focus onto the crowd. You have grandma and grandpa in from Cloverdale to take in the colorful floats. You have families and children. At one point, a Mariah Carey-inspired drag queen stopped to toss condoms into the crowd when a young lad in front of us said ‘he would like a sucker too’…to which the queen reached deep into her frock, pulling out an assortment of lollies for the tot. I for one was enjoying the plethora of fit, young men bopping about to a selection of electronica and Madonna…do you blame me?

One of the more powerful moments during the parade was a float displaying the Freedometer Map, a color-coded world map highlighting gay-friendly countries…and the results are quite grim. I’m happy to say Canada is listed as one of the most progressive countries on the subject, however we are only one of three, joined by Spain and South Africa. These are the only countries in the world where there are no penalties for being gay, same-sex marriage is legal and there are discrimination laws in place. As a good friend of mine put it ‘we live in a bubble of liberal thought here in Vancouver and have become complacent about the relevance of this parade and how far our world has yet to come’. Case in point.

Despite the worlds ability, or lack thereof, to adopt a more liberal approach to gay rights, it’s comforting to know that we live in city, and a country for that matter, that is open to all members of its community, regardless of color, religion or sexual preference.

Whew! I feel a group hug coming on…

Photo credits - Nella Amenta