Agreed! In work and academic environments people are already less likely to listen to women and more likely to interrupt them. Not only have I had to learn how to speak more fluently, but I’ve had to learn how to assertively self advocate and claim my space in these environments. The amount of times I’ve had to tell a man (or a group of men) that they WILL let me finish speaking and they WILL NOT finish my sentences for me is truly ridiculous. Also women can be incredibly cruel, especially young girls in primary school. If you have something different about you that’s so overt, bullying is basically guaranteed and I’ve found it’s far less visible in social dynamics between girls. In the workplace as an adult, I’ve experienced women older than me being very threatened by my confidence and outspokenness. This leads to another social dynamic in which the stutterer ends up excluded or socially disadvantaged. I think when it comes to dating, people often see the surface level empathy and seeing a stutter as “endearing” or “cute” that women may experience. What they don’t see is the infantilization and misogyny that underpins this so-called “empathy”. There’s an added layer on top of this—women are societally conditioned to strive for beauty. As a woman who stutters, I’ve often felt like because there’s something different about me, I need to go the extra mile when it comes to style, grooming, and beauty practices. There’s a noticeable difference in the way my stutter is received when I am looking my best and fitting into a conventional beauty standard compared to when I don’t put in that extra effort. People are far more forgiving and willing to understand when you seem to fit into other norms. This is a double edged sword though—if other women or men feel threatened by your beauty and confidence, they may be MORE likely to look for something “wrong” with you and prey on that perceived vulnerability.