Lexi there's no way we could be having this conversation to begin with if you hadn't started it, and we know you are a staunch defender of female characters. And I don't see you as any less passionate as Kelsey, or myself, or Lucy - we all express our passion in different ways and that's marvelous. we need all the voices in the room we can get - we need every single voice in the room.

Pepper is great, but why can't a woman be Iron Man?

Because (white, able-bodied) male is the default setting. I can say "we need more women storytellers" but there is no evidence that women will tell more female-centric stories (fandom is proof of that.) Meanwhile, some of my favorite f/f writers in fandom are men; the only conversation I've seen online that is respectful of Marti Noxon as a writer and artist was amongst a group of male fans. Phyllis Schafley led the charge against the ERA back in the 1970's.

So lest anyone think this about male vs female, it's not.

I've been just playing the devil's advocate here.

So - what was the argument again, really?