1. Access to participation in conversations and speech events can depend on gender and social roles. Historically, women and children were often discouraged from or banned from participating in public conversations and decision-making forums. 2. Gender can influence how speech is interpreted and judged. For example, when the gender of authors like Emily Brontë and George Eliot were revealed as women, critical reception of their works sometimes changed. 3. Different speech activities like sermonizing, lecturing, arguing, and gossiping each have gendered expectations and social norms around who can participate and in what ways. What is considered an appropriate argument versus quarrel also depends on perceptions of gender.