That a WiFi system or a Nest security camera or even a pair of headphones was marketed toward any gender is an issue, and if it was an unconscious decision, it’s just more evidence of gender bias in tech and within the consumer tech shopping world. Market segmentation is a fundamental part of the retail industry but retailers, advertisers, and marketers alike need to view segmentation through a lens of equality. How would a man use a WiFi router any differently than someone else?
The fear you've heard from skeptics of this moment is the fear of not knowing what lies beyond stereotypical masculinity — and what might emerge in its place. We associate numerous traits with different versions of manhood, including physical strength, courage, wisdom, stoicism, virtuousness, dominance, and wealth. Some of these are worthy attributes that help men excel in personal, social, and professional roles. They're also frankly what many people, regardless of gender, aspire to become.
"White women are constantly choosing their whiteness over their womanhood, and they're choosing to vote for people who will help maintain their white supremacy as opposed to what will help maintain the safety of women overall," says Rachel Cargle, an activist, writer, and lecturer whose work explores "the intersection of race and womanhood."