Across the board, the women I talked to for this article all love their height. They're confident and self-assured. They sincerely enjoy being the tallest person in most rooms (especially when wearing heels), but that doesn't mean the dynamic of being a tall woman in a world of shorter men isn't sometimes awkward. Take, for instance, Alaina Johnson, a 6'0" business owner from Dallas, who shared, "I was once at a business meeting where this guy stood on a chair — stood on a chair — to give me a hug. Granted, he was a shorter man and he was poking fun at himself, too, but we were at a business meeting." And at a business meeting, there's no good response to such a strange action.
Then there's my sister, Mary McCoy, a PhD student and social worker who recounts many semi-combative conversations with men who think they're taller than they actually are, "Inevitably, a guy who's is maybe 5'11" will round up his height to 6'2", then find it necessary to spar with me when I insist that no, I really am 6'3", and he's the one with the measuring problems."
And finally, there are some cultural expectations that can actually interfere with a chosen career. As a professional dancer, LaBonde says, "It's difficult for me to partner in dance. In heels I'm six feet tall, and most guys who dance, for whatever reason, are under six foot. Being partnered with someone shorter is difficult and aesthetically, not pleasing." But it's not just partnering that can be a challenge, "Today a director told me I was too tall for a role. It's not the first time I've heard that, either."
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