Oh, I am sorry, BookBeast, I was being unclear. I meant the LW, not your mother. Your mom sounds like she mostly works with nice folks who are a little ignorant of modern social niceties, that's all. Gently correcting them with good humour is probably the best answer.

The warehouse I work at has many oblivious sexists, in much the same way. They are so completely astonished that a woman would hold a business job yet not wear makeup that I have been asked if I was lesbian. No malice, just incomprehension. I have never gotten my panties in a bundle about it.

I did, however, once ask to have the Christian Womens' Bible Study flyers removed from the bathroom, because I think I ought to be able to take a piss without being prosthelytized at. The Christian ladies who put it there did not understand why I would object, even after I pointed out that a Godless Heathen's Book Club flyer would go over like a lead balloon. Their response was "well, of course, but this is a CHRISTIAN club!"

Feh.

As an aside, 90% of the lesbians I know wear makeup. Even the butch ones.

Freki