DOES SHE SPEAK FOR TODAYS WOMEN?
In 1971, I, too, was flying for Pan Am and ran for office in the San Francisco chapter of NOW. Even then, in the more idealistic days of the movement, sexual orientation and political correctness were the litmus tests for acceptance by many so-called feminists. Despite the fact that flight attendants were burdened with discriminatory employment practices — from sexist advertising to controls on weight, age, marital status and child-bearing — few of us found much sympathy from the radical wing of NOW, which indulged in more sexual stereotyping than the most cynical ad men of the day. Then as now, women who were attractive, heterosexual, held moderate political views or worked in a traditional female job were held suspect by radical feminists.
