Coming out of the editorial closet: From feminist issues to gender issues

Abstract

“Coming Out of the Editorial Closest” refers to the unusual circumstance of a man editing” Gender Issues during an editorial interregnum brought about by the abrupt resignation of an editor for personal/medical reasons. The year's plus time during which I, in effect, edited this journal, taught me many things. (1) That in the short run at least, issues of ascribed status and biosocial designation are overruled by the essentially universal premises of scholarship in social science. (2) Appeals to evidence based on experience and commonly accepted standards of data are paramount. (3) An appreciation for different points of view in any particular subject, especially policy issues, requires public awareness rather than gender specificities. This statement is hardly intended to be definitive, but it is suggestive, especially at a time when gender, class, and race stratification are viewed as entry tickets to some editorial and scholarly positions. My own experience convinces me that while gender issues are most often best covered by women—or at least those intimately concerned with the problems of the status of women in society—this does not preclude possibilities that “outsiders” can serve a useful and constructive role in the development of specialist journals.