The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

From periods to powerlifting: Over 200 people told us what’s been mansplained to them

We asked our Instagram followers to share their most egregious examples of mansplaining

By
May 12, 2021 at 12:11 p.m. EDT
(María Alconada Brooks/Washington Post)

A woman was once told how her biology works.

Another was informed by a man that women actually enjoy catcalling and street harassment.

And a Black woman was told that being a White man is harder.

These stories are among the more than 200 responses The Lily received from a call-out on Instagram (inspired by this viral TikTok video) asking followers to share things that have been mansplained to them — a term that refers to when a man explains something to a woman in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing.

Here’s more of what they told us.

“My boss thought he could explain to me what it was like to do my job because he had daughters.”

“That childbirth is not painful … since women ‘choose’ to do it.”

“My dad mansplaining cooking to my mom, who does the majority of the cooking.”

71% of dads said working from home boosted well-being. Only 41% of moms agreed.

“My family’s native language that he learned on HelloTalk for three months.”

“The answer to an exam question which he’d copied from my paper.”

“The ‘correct’ meaning of mansplaining.”

“How to be a ‘proper’ feminist.”

“What it’s like growing up as a woman in a patriarchal society.”

“Why covid is not that bad — I have a [bachelor of science] in public health & nursing."

A White city official refused to address this Black professor as ‘doctor.’ He got fired.

“What makes a Latina the ‘right’ kind of Latina. He was a White man. I’m Latina.”

“What women go through when experiencing a miscarriage.”

“My own feelings towards women. I said I’m a lesbian, he explained that was wrong.”

“I’m a comms and PR graduate. A man told me that I didn’t understand ‘tone.’”

“A Christian White man tried to explain the concept of chakras to me, a practicing Hindu.”

“The color of my own eyes (he was wrong).”

Follow us on Instagram to answer more questions like these in the future.