According to a handout posted on the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill’s website, everything from complimenting a female speaker’s shoes to suggesting a golf outing is a microaggression.
The handout, which was posted on Thursday, explains that saying, “‘I love your shoes!’ … to a woman in leadership during a Q&A after a speech” is a “microaggression” because what you’re really saying is, “I notice how you look and dress more than I value your intellectual contributions.”
(Note: The fact that the handout specifies that shoe-complimenting is only a microaggression when directed toward a “woman” is very interesting, considering it later states that gender-specific dress codes are also a microaggression because having them “assumes that your staff fits into one of two gender categories.” I mean, isn’t using the phrase “woman in leadership” saying the same thing? What about transfeminine people in leadership? What about gender fluid people in leadership? Jeez, so offensive!)
Another microaggression? “I think we should have our staff retreat at the country club. Let’s plan a round of golf.”
Yes, seriously. Why? Well according to the handout, it “assumes employees have the financial resources/exposure to a fairly (expensive and inaccessible) sport.”
It’s not clear why those random parentheses were used. What does seem clear to me, however, is that individual offices could probably decide for themselves whether or not golf would be an appropriate activity — but maybe I just have too much faith in people.