I was able to join a carpenters union in 1979 because of affirmative action (Title IX). The other carpenters made it clear from the start that women weren’t wanted on the job site. The harassment started immediately.

At first this harassment was easy to quantify. I found nails in my boots, my tools misplaced, comments to my face where women belong and inappropriate sexual posters in the job shack. Sometimes I could not put my finger on what was happening, but the discomfort I felt was real. We all have experienced at some point, walking into a room and everyone stops talking, or walking into a room with the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. That is what it was for me almost everyday. I hid the fact that I was Jewish and a lesbian for fear of more reprisals.

I excelled in my work, becoming a foreperson, assistant superintendent and a field engineer. Even in these positions, I was not accepted on the job. After 15 years, I left the carpenters union tired and worn down. Just like an outdoor metal sculpture so shiny and new when it is first installed, one day you notice it is rusted by the years of weather.They won and I lost. I lost the most challenging and creative job I ever had. I loved the work, hated the atmosphere. There were days I questioned who I was and what I was doing. It took me over a year to recover mentally from working in a hostile environment, and I was an adult. I cannot imagine what it would be like for a child in school going through this everyday. It my take years to recover from the damage, if ever.

— Hilary Emmer