'Women only' groups

Trog · 03-11-2010 4:39am #1

Right, from the off, I don't want to start a battle of the sexes here. But this is an issue where I'm honestly divided, the lines here seem to be blurry at best.

I'm a man, and I'm hearing about more and more women-only groups in the media. There's women only gyms, women only book clubs, and today I heard about a women only marijuana advocate group in California.
Surely there's something amiss here? I understand that in certain circumstances it makes sense to have this- the gym is somewhere a woman might feel intimidated by men perving on them, for example, fair enough. I only wish there was a 'no d**khead gym for me to go to.

The thing is, say I was to start a men only book club, for example. I'd be chastised for it and there'd be outrage. I wouldn't be able to go on Sean Moncrieff's radio show (where I heard the California thing) saying things like "Well, a lot of men don't like the image associated with book clubs, so I'm starting one where there's a safe environment for them" etc. I'd be abused off the airwaves. And proper order it would be too.

This kind of behavior draws attention to distinctions which we should be moving on from. Yes, women and men are different, but the more attention we draw to these differences, the more people are going to treat women and men as different.

Obviously this applies to all kinds of distinctions, but this one is the most prevalent in my opinion. You're far less likely to come across a 'Japanese people only' group, for example.

Mods: I'm not sure if AH is the right place for this, apologies if you have to move it.

K-9 · 03-11-2010 4:45am

Portmarnock Golf Club, Freemasonry, Knights of Columbanus?

Not my cup of tea but they do exist!

Black Swan · 03-11-2010 4:46am

Pulls up chair, makes popcorn, and waits for entertaining posts...

FrostyJack · 03-11-2010 4:46am

The difference is you wouldn't hear uproar over women only groups because most men wouldn't want to go there in the first place, whereas at men only groups women will want to go as they are nosey lunts

well that and Lisa Simpson syndrome....

OutlawPete · 03-11-2010 4:46am

Nothing whatsoever wrong with women discriminating against men.

Oh wait, no .. there is.

fonecrusher1 · 03-11-2010 4:48am

Women only groups eh?

/automatically imagines a bunch of sexy lesbians in a room. Its a warm room, the radiators are stuck at a very high temperature. One by one all the women start removing their clothes.....

brendansmith · 03-11-2010 4:49am

Fcuk em, I wonder if will still be women only when they block up the crapper at their little book clubs. Cnuts

Sheeps · 03-11-2010 4:50am

Women have women only groups, men have men only jobs.

Sheeps · 03-11-2010 4:51am

its just the way it works

brendansmith · 03-11-2010 4:52am

Really? You think?

brendansmith · 03-11-2010 4:53am

Yeah, Guess youre right!

Sheeps · 03-11-2010 4:56am

think of the number of jobs that only men can do vs the number of jobs that only women can do

FrostyJack · 03-11-2010 4:57am

Sheeps wrote: »

think of the number of jobs that only men can do vs the number of jobs that only women can do

Can you list them please?

OutlawPete · 03-11-2010 4:59am

Another thing that bugs me, is "Ladies Nights" ..

Alchemy had one of these recently and it was:

"LADIES, FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT".

Granted, I was happy at 1am when the place was packed with the sexy ladies .. but at 11pm on my way in, I sure wished I'd brought my stilettos and wig with me :mad:

Trog · 03-11-2010 5:00am

K-9 wrote: »

Portmarnock Golf Club, Freemasonry, Knights of Columbanus?

Not my cup of tea but they do exist!

I don't agree with these either, but that's beside the point. The first two of these groups (never heard of the knights of Columbanus) have both received a hell of a lot of criticism for their sexist policies. And these 'men only' jobs get a lot of similar coverage about how wrong the sexist attitudes are. And with just cause. But other groups are allowed discriminate in the exact same way with no one batting an eyelid.

PS. I did have hopes for funny responses when I started this, but also interested in real responses.

policarp · 03-11-2010 5:01am

If women want to have women only groups, let them.
If men want to have men only groups, let them.
If you want to start a nudist colony, then take off your clothes.
It's only when one group starts plotting against other group/s that I would see a problem.

Einhard · 03-11-2010 5:01am

You mean we let girls post in AH?!:eek:

euuuuuuwwwwww coooooties

Links234 · 03-11-2010 5:03am

Loads of areas are separate for men and women, toilets, changing rooms, locker rooms, different sections in shops. are you saying that everything should be unisex? absolutely everything?
or is it another after hours "have a go at women" thread?

K-9 · 03-11-2010 5:04am

Trog wrote: »

I don't agree with these either, but that's beside the point. The first two of these groups (never heard of the knights of Columbanus) have both received a hell of a lot of criticism for their sexist policies. And these 'men only' jobs get a lot of similar coverage about how wrong the sexist attitudes are. And with just cause. But other groups are allowed discriminate in the exact same way with no one batting an eyelid.

PS. I did have hopes for funny responses when I started this, but also interested in real responses.

Tbh, I wouldn't agree with those 3 examples either, just pointing them out!

Both sides are worthy of criticism IMO!

Freemasonry and the Knights tend to get criticism for other reasons!

Sheeps · 03-11-2010 5:04am

FrostyJack wrote: »

Can you list them please?

To name a few:

Comedian (women are just not funny)
Soldier (obvious)
Fishermen
Bouncers

donfers · 03-11-2010 5:05am

K-9 wrote: »

Portmarnock Golf Club, Freemasonry, Knights of Columbanus?

Not my cup of tea but they do exist!

yes and they get major criticism for it

by the way weren't you going along with all the ladies lounge regulars who said they hated it when they were complaining about something and then some rascal would barge in and give an equivalent complaint that affected males

we're all as bad as each other, but it's those smugly self-righteous dogmatic types that are the worst (not saying you are one by the way)

FrostyJack · 03-11-2010 5:07am

Sheeps wrote: »

To name a few:

Comedian (women are just not funny)
Soldier (obvious)
Fishermen
Bouncers

I hope you are joking or drunk or both.

Trog · 03-11-2010 5:07am

Links234 wrote: »

Loads of areas are separate for men and women, toilets, changing rooms, locker rooms, different sections in shops. are you saying that everything should be unisex? absolutely everything?
or is it another after hours "have a go at women" thread?

In my first post I said there obviously were reasonable circumstances. And at the end of it I clarified that it isn't an anti-women thing, it's an anti-separatist thing.
If there's no REAL reason to exclude people, then they shouldn't be excluded. Granted the lines get fuzzy around what's a real reason, hence the room for discussion.
All I'm saying is that in my opinion there's a lot of unnecessary division of this type.

fonecrusher1 · 03-11-2010 5:09am

Sheeps wrote: »

To name a few:

Comedian (women are just not funny) Thats your opinion
Soldier (obvious) There are female soldiers??
Fishermen - that the best you can come up with?
Bouncers There are female bouncers??

So you feel angry because theres not many female fisherpeople? Its such a high profile easy job as well.:rolleyes: Troll.

donfers · 03-11-2010 5:09am

OutlawPete wrote: »

Another thing that bugs me, is "Ladies Nights" ..

Alchemy had one of these recently and it was:

"LADIES, FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT".

Granted, I was happy at 1am when the place was packed with the sexy ladies .. but at 11pm on my way in, I sure wished I'd brought my stilettos and wig with me :mad:

ya it's intriguing how they'll overlook the equal rights agenda on certain occassions

K-9 · 03-11-2010 5:10am

donfers wrote: »

yes and they get major criticism for it

by the way weren't you going along with all the ladies lounge regulars who said they hated it when they were complaining about something that a guy would barge in and give an equivalent complaint that affected males

we're all as bad as each other, but it's those smugly self-righteous dogmatic types that are the worst (not saying you are one by the way)

Nope, not me.

Interesting take though. 1 poster posted an opinion, nobody agreed with the poster, nobody took them on, nobody challenged them, nobody took it seriously, nobody acted on said opinion.

But you take it as representing the Ladies Lounge in general!

policarp · 03-11-2010 5:12am

K-9 wrote: »

Portmarnock Golf Club

Women haven't the balls to join Portmarnock Golf Club.

donfers · 03-11-2010 5:12am

Links234 wrote: »

Loads of areas are separate for men and women, toilets, changing rooms, locker rooms, different sections in shops. are you saying that everything should be unisex? absolutely everything?
or is it another after hours "have a go at women" thread?

ummm.......are you being serious?

Sheeps · 03-11-2010 5:12am

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

So you feel angry because theres not many female fisherpeople? Its such a high profile easy job as well.:rolleyes: Troll.

nope, i dont feel angry at all

PanchoVilla · 03-11-2010 5:13am

Don't worry OP...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af-3Q0L5cMw

Trog · 03-11-2010 5:14am

OutlawPete wrote: »

Another thing that bugs me, is "Ladies Nights" ..

Alchemy had one of these recently and it was:

"LADIES, FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT".

Granted, I was happy at 1am when the place was packed with the sexy ladies .. but at 11pm on my way in, I sure wished I'd brought my stilettos and wig with me :mad:

As a guy with a girlfriend, I hate this. I can't say I'll have the same opinion when I'm single... (Which will probably be as soon as she sees this thread. Or finds out I post on Boards. I was doing so well pretending not to be a nerd...)

'Women only' groups

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