I just want you all to know I have NOT posted a response to Chuck's post about girls and toys because it would most likely be XXX rated, but all of you would have laughed heartily if I had. :) The topic women in astronomy is a serious one and Rich touched on it. It would be easy to blame the male dominated attitude in Utah and there is blame to be placed, but it's not just Utah, a lthough I believe there are many more women in other states actively involved in amate ur astronomy. But I want to speak from my own experience. While my interest has been accepted by SLAS members and members of this board without challenge or condemnation (well, maybe a little - sort of), it is not so much true of the general public. I have done many public star parties and invariably, while I am standing next to MY refractor, if there is a man standing anywhere near my scope, a number of general public males will turn to the man and ask him questions, about astronomy and/or MY scope. Many general public women as well. After a while it wears a girl down. There have been other women with scopes who gave up on public star parties for this reason . Men simply do not have a foundation upon which to handle such experiences because it doesn't happen to you. No one in the club or on this board is to blame - it is not you. It is just the general population's assumption that astronomy and/or science is a boys club. That's why I am on this board, at least I can talk to all of you about my interests and not be slighted.