The gender differences you write about are a social, cultural construction. Many societies do not have the same strictly enforced gender roles as we do in the United States.
Why shouldn’t women want to be equal to men? Why shouldn’t a man be allowed, without derogatory or hurtful repercussions, to discuss with his friends his feelings or concerns?
The gender stereotypes you write about will never allow either of these to be a reality. In fact, given the impression of your article, women shouldn’t even be in college. We should simply allow men to make all decisions for us. We should marry and become a Stepford wife.
We no longer live in a society or economy in which most families can afford a parent/guardian to stay home and provide childcare.
Many families require a dual income to stay afloat or above the working-class level. Neither allowing nor supporting women’s equality makes this even more tragic as women receive unequal wages for equal work. This requires those with children to work longer hours to provide for their families.
Yes, gender roles are a tradition, but so was slavery. Being a tradition does not equate with  being right. If we had not dared to challenge traditions like slavery, we would be in a far worse place.
There is no reason a feminine woman should not be equal to a man. A woman should not be required to choose between being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and having a manicure.
Being the news editor of a college newspaper isn’t complying with the female gender role. Do the men at the newspaper make all the decisions for you? Do you take female professors less seriously than your male professors?
I am also disturbed at the fact that you insinuate that since equality is impossible, we should not even try.
It is this very mentality that keeps us trapped in antiquated times. I hope that in the future you will realize that there are some things worth fighting to gain.
Editor’s Note: This letter was written in response to Julia Pendley’s article about gender differences in the Jan. 14 edition of The Reflector.