Given the centuries through which the puzzle of understanding men has been wrestled with by women, and the puzzle of understanding women wrestled with by men, it seems to me inevitable that some assumptions about another person will be based on gender. Why else would a book like Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus become a best seller?

But It hink as mentioned above you have to be really clear about the difference between categories as a shortcut (benign pigeonholing) and categories as grounds for oppression, belittling, or taking advantage. Both could be called sexism, because gender is used as a differentiator. But it IS a differentiator. The differences are many and complex and it is a necessary convenience. Malign pigeonholing, on the other hand, is a shallow rationalization for bad conduct. As LH says, the intent makes all the difference.

I also think it is an issue that can be over-dramatized.

A