Gender ratio article was offensive, heterosexist

TO THE EDITOR:

I am writing in response to Wednesday’s article on a study of the gender disparity in higher education (“Study to look into uneven gender ratio,” Dec. 2).

I was appalled by the heterosexist language in the opening sentence. Not only is it a dangerous assumption to make about the sexuality of students, but it also reinforces the historical perception of young women’s interest in higher education as a vehicle to get an “MRS” degree (marriage) and not further their education.

Additionally, the tone of the article devalues the contributions of female students by assuming that they need male students in order to have a successful learning environment.

This is particularly worrisome for me when considering that female students are attending UNC within a power structure that overvalues masculinity and in a setting that did not previously admit women at all.

Perhaps the question should not be why men are not at UNC now but why women weren’t in the past. I recognize that this study will be implemented regardless of the feelings of UNC or writers at The Daily Tar Heel; however, I would ask that staff more carefully monitor their language and tone to be more affirming of the entire student body.



Joy Messinger
Graduate student
Gillings School of Global Public Health