Equality on whose terms?

Here’s an example of a post which it would be easy to write badly. I found Ron Moore’s blog on Battlestar Galactica in the Science/Space Travel section of Blogshares. There’s a kind of logic there I suppose. His recent post Q&A has this snippet:

“Why does every one call the officers Sir even if they are women? I was in the military but I thought that every one knows to call female officers or presidents Mam.”

This was something I took from Wrath of Khan. In that film, everyone called Saavik “sir” and I liked the way it played and the implication that the honorific had become gender neutral at that point…My personal feeling was that there was something vaguely condescending about “Yes, ma’am” versus “Yes, sir” in context and that by addressing everyone as “sir” it made a point about the egalitarian nature of Starfleet.

I said it’s an easy post to mis-write because I agree with Moore’s aims, but I’m not sure that method is sound. I agree equality sounds good, but on what terms should men and women be equal? My concern is that in some sci-fi there’s one sex in the future and it’s male. By representing masculine terms as the norm I think you’re implicitly saying something about female roles. For example what would a pilot be saying if he responded to an order from Captain Picard or Commander Adama with a “Yes Ma’am!” Taken to a soapbox extreme I could argue that Moore is suggesting that the female gender is an abberation which will be eradicated in the future. I really don’t think he is. From the blog entry it’s clear it’s quite the opposite, he sees it as women have equal opportunity as respect as men. If female titles are condescending is that because female roles belittle a person? I think Madonna said something similar. But I don’t know if a one gender future is something I’d look forward to, or if redesignating women as men really is equality for women.

I shall have to write a sci-fi story where, when the aliens attack, the crew of the ship carefully and considerately discuss and reflect on how their social roles in the battle will have an impact on the direction of their society. Working title: “Kaboom! Humanity’s dead!”

By the way, no, I’m not sure I could say what “female roles” are.

Other pro-female pages noted recently: 64 Baker Street tells the world: “I am not now, nor have I ever been a 0.” as she rejects the notion of an ideal woman.

And I’ve found Inkycircus, which is blog connected to attempts to launch a science that appeals to women. As far as I can tell the magazine will be exactly like a science magazine that appeals to men, but more intelligent and the scientists will wear more stylish clothes.