<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They said that sometimes the Dalai Lama \u201cmakes off-the-cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humour in translation when brought into another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They claimed it was a \u201cjoke\u201d and he was at first (in Paris) \u201cpartially responding to the unfamiliar ambiance of working with a team whose prime focus was the world of high fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It added that the Dalai Lama \u201c has opposed the objectification of women, has supported women and their rights and celebrated the growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s true. The Dalai Lama did say that and he did say in the same interview that he supported women\u2019s rights and equal pay in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I can\u2019t help but wonder, does he only support attractive women who wear makeup? And does saying it was \u2018just a joke\u2019 excuse his sexist remark?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reminds me of something I read. In June 2013, a menu for a Liberal Party fundraiser in Australia was leaked on social media. The menu carried a grossly sexist line about then-Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It said: \u201cJulia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail: small breasts, huge thighs, and a big red box.\u201d The chef who created the menu called it a joke, citing that the opposition leaders had not seen the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that was a joke, too. You see, when it comes to degrading women, it\u2019s disguised as a joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A study found, not surprisingly, that \u201cplayful, demeaning, group-based comments cloaked in humor\u2026are among the most common ways that women experience sexism in the workplace and other settings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sexist humor, they go on to note, is \u201chumor that denigrates, demeans, stereotypes, oppresses, or objectifies women.\u201d It\u2019s basically \u201cmodern\u201d sexism \u2014 it\u2019s a demeaning view about women masked in a subtle form that\u2019s socially acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not saying that the Dalai Lama is doing that deliberately. The cognitive dissonance is big here. I can\u2019t imagine Dalai Lama hurting anyone on purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s the danger. Religious leaders get away with a lot because they\u2019re put on a pedestal as \u2018the holy men of God\u2019 or \u2018the living Buddha\u2019 who can do no harm. It doesn\u2019t help that the Dalai Lama is naturally a playful, down-to-earth guy, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I wonder, where do we draw the line between sexism and humor? Additionally, he has been praised for saying in various interviews that there should be women leaders because they\u2019re biologically more compassionate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But isn\u2019t that just another form of gender stereotype harmful to women?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Dalai Lama says that about women, he\u2019s creating the notion that women who are like men \u2014 more logical and practical in their leadership style \u2014 aren\u2019t effective if they aren\u2019t what they\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve experienced this firsthand as an American of Nepali heritage who grew up in Japan. I\u2019ve been called \u201caggressive\u201d or \u201ctoo loud\u201d by my Nepali uncles. Not to mention, seeing my mom and my aunties mocked as not being \u201clady-like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone around them brushed it off as a funny joke when in reality, it\u2019s sexism disguised as humor. A woman can be more compassionate than men \u2014 true, but that shouldn\u2019t be the reason they\u2019re promoted to higher leadership positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compassion is just one of the many qualities of a woman leader. We\u2019re also passionate, brave, and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would understand if Dalai Lama recognized his internalized misogyny and didn\u2019t repeat his mistakes. But despite the controversy, he has repeatedly made the same jokes over and over again, which gives me doubt as to whether he respects women at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Females make up 50% of the world, yet the vast majority of leadership positions are held by men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given that patriarchy is all around us, including in religions, which is a powerful entity in itself, it\u2019s crucial that Dalai Lama shed his internalized misogyny or at least acknowledge his mistakes and stop repeating them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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