A deep look inside the byzantine subculture of high-school debate — and the misogyny and toxic behavior that lurked therein — from a onetime participant. Heart-stopping and eye-opening.
Boys who were strong debaters were said to possess Good Debater Syndrome, meaning that their skill made them seem more attractive to their female peers. For girls, hooking up with a good male debater was widely considered an accolade: a way of sharing in his power. But the designation only applied to boys. There was no such thing as a girl possessing GDS.
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