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One time, we were talking to another female—
we were talking to other female Members,

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and maybe there were three or four of us, 
two staff people and Members. 

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And male Members would come over to us and say, 
“Oh, what are you girls cooking up? Are you conspiring against us?"

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And we’d say, “Why were—why would we be conspiring against us?
We’re just talking girl talk.”  

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“Oh.” And they’d look at us, not quite believing us, 
but it was sort of a satisfactory answer, so they’d walk away.

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But it was like, three or more—it was funny.
Three or more women,

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whether it were two staff people and a Member
or two members and one staff person, 

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three or more women on the floor congregating, chatting, 
would cause concern among the male Members. 

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Were we conspiring against them?

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What I found so fascinating about this experience is that years later, 
when I served in the Massachusetts senate, my freshman year,

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and I was talking to two other members, 
and I had male state senators come up to me—up to us

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and say, “Are you three conspiring against us?”

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I thought, “I can’t believe this. 
It’s happening here in Massachusetts years later, 

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the same thing that happened in the House Floor in Washington.”