--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before I came out, people always asked me…" description: "\"Before I came out, people always asked me math questions. But once I became a woman, they stopped. There's unintended discrimination.\" — Vivienne Ming" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/vivienne-ming-20330_discrimination_before-i-came-out-people-always-asked-me_1726257.jpg" --- # Before I came out, people always asked me math questions… ![“Before I came out, people always asked me math questions. But once I became a woman, they stopped. There's unintended discrimination.” quote by Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/vivienne-ming-20330_discrimination_before-i-came-out-people-always-asked-me_1726257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/vivienne-ming-20330_discrimination_before-i-came-out-people-always-asked-me_1726257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/vivienne-ming-20330_discrimination_before-i-came-out-people-always-asked-me_1726257.jpg) > “Before I came out, people always asked me math questions. But once I became a woman, they stopped. There's unintended discrimination.” [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After transitioning, people stopped asking math questions, revealing subtle bias that assumes women lack technical expertise. **In simple terms:** Gender bias leads to reduced expectations of women’s abilities. Key Takeaway Address and correct unconscious gender biases in professional settings. Themes bias gender STEM inclusion Mood inquisitive determined Type social professional When to use this quote - workplace training - STEM mentorship - policy development - diversity audits Key Concepts social psychology implicit bias gender dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do biases affect career trajectories? - What policies can reduce gendered assumptions? A Different Perspective Changing attitudes requires systemic effort beyond individual awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asked Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-math-1387001/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-asked/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Questions Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-woman-1330828/) [Unintended Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unintended-discrimination-1387000/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [“Am I really going to hell for being gay?” Or, “I think I was born a woman in a man’s body. 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Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-alioto/in-the-senate-race-i-went-for-some-candidate-endorsement-meetings-and/) [Angela Alioto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-alioto/) > [No one hid their interest when I walked into the room. I'm not sure if it was the news about Boo or my general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/no-one-hid-their-interest-when-i-walked-into-the-room-i-m-not-sure-if/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [ \[People asked me\] "Where is your million-dollar shirt?" I'm like, "It's underneath these $25 Hanes T-shirts I've got on." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-smith/people-asked-me-where-is-your-million-dollar-shirt-i-m-like-it-s/) [J. R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-smith/) > [People have asked me about adoption, and yes, I would. I don't feel you have to have your own children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/people-have-asked-me-about-adoption-and-yes-i-would-i-don-t-feel-you/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [“I've never ever missed anyone in my life. I genuinely do not understand the emotion. People have told me they missed me a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-vega/i-ve-never-ever-missed-anyone-in-my-life-i-genuinely-do-not/) [Caspar Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-vega/) > [“Was James bipolar?” The tears returned, and I watched her battle them. “We don’t use that word in our family.” I stared at her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-butler/was-james-bipolar-the-tears-returned-and-i-watched-her-battle-them-we/) [Hazel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-butler/) ## More by Vivienne Ming > [AI might be a powerful technology, but things won't get better simply by adding AI.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/ai-might-be-a-powerful-technology-but-things-won-t-get-better-simply/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [In 1958, my father graduated from secondary school as the highest-achieving student in the state of Kansas, earning a five-year scholarship to the Massachusetts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/in-1958-my-father-graduated-from-secondary-school-as-the-highest/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [After I transitioned, a lot of people said, 'I like you so much more now,' because before, I was unhappy. 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I'm so glad you know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/if-my-son-came-to-me-years-from-now-and-told-me-i-m-gay-i-d-say-that/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [Because of the tax on being different, individual actors in the labour market from different backgrounds can rationally value the same opportunities differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/because-of-the-tax-on-being-different-individual-actors-in-the-labour/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [If you tell someone, 'Hey, your daughter is going to win a Nobel Prize someday,' it makes it less likely. If you say, 'Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/if-you-tell-someone-hey-your-daughter-is-going-to-win-a-nobel-prize/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [Passing on a full scholarship to MIT would be irrational for me, but to my father and his parents, what would have been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/passing-on-a-full-scholarship-to-mit-would-be-irrational-for-me-but/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [If you have a diverse workforce, then you have a much better chance of picking up on things that a lack of diversity would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/if-you-have-a-diverse-workforce-then-you-have-a-much-better-chance-of/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [Estrogen's a wonderful thing. I'd be doing the dishes and suddenly be like, 'Wait a minute - why am I crying?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/estrogen-s-a-wonderful-thing-i-d-be-doing-the-dishes-and-suddenly-be/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [Why did I go back to school? After working with giant snails as the manager of an abalone farm, who wouldn't be fascinated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/why-did-i-go-back-to-school-after-working-with-giant-snails-as-the/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [I have had a small handful of truly blatantly discriminatory experiences for being transgender, but the vast majority are simply the differences between being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/i-have-had-a-small-handful-of-truly-blatantly-discriminatory/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) [Explore all 31 Vivienne Ming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) ## More Discrimination quotes > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I believe that those who promote discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other grounds are gravely mistaken about the values that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/i-believe-that-those-who-promote-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [It is obvious that discrimination exists. 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