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"Ladies Admitted Free Before Midnight"

  • 22-12-2011 2:55pm
    #1
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭


    I stopped off in a midlands town the other day for a bite of lunch on my way back from Dublin and spotted an advertising sign for the local disco / night-club.

    It seems to be a 7-night / week operation and the blurb for Thursday night (times, DJs names, etc.) incorporated the phrase in the thread title.

    Is this advertisement discriminatory on the basis of gender and who decides if a female is "A Lady" -vs- "A Bird" -vs- "A Woman" -vs- "A Girl" for example?

    Any thoughts?


Comments

  • #2
    Paulw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    mathepac wrote: »
    Is this advertisement discriminatory on the basis of gender
    Any thoughts?

    It's not discrimination, but a promotion.

    If it said "Free entry, but males must pay", then that is discrimation based on gender.

    I'm sure it states a cover charge on the sign, but then has that promotion that "ladies free before midnight", which is simply a promotion to get females in before midnight.


  • #3
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,619 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    I think it's a bit of a grey area really, if the sign said 'people who live in permanent dwellings free before midnight', 'travellers €100' there'd be a less benign reaction from the posters here.

    Or am I wrong here? Isn't gender discrimination outlawed in the same way as is discrimination based on sexual orientation, religious beliefs and membership of the travelling community?


  • #4
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    Paulw wrote: »
    ... I'm sure it states a cover charge on the sign, ...
    Sorry, yes it does, €xx, varying by night of the week, with "week-end" nights being the most expensive, IIRC.

    My own layman's view is that it is discriminatory and to level the playing field so to speak, there needed to be a corresponding "Gentlemen Free Before Midnight" night advertised.


  • #5
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Yes, it is in contravention of discrmination laws.

    There was a test case taken a few years back by a guy who had been required to pay into a nightclub when his female companions got in free.

    The Equality Tribunal ruled in his favour, and this kind of "promotion" has been illegal for a number of years now.

    http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ladiesinfree-nights-not-fair-on-men-watchdog-rules-188194.html

    (The compensation awarded is so low because he admitted to not having been traumatised or outraged by the incident, but simply took the case on a point of principle that he was being discriminated against)

    Although I say "illegal", it's not a criminal matter. A club is within their rights to operate this policy, but it leaves them wide open to hands-down lose a discrimination action taken against them. It could also affect their licence renewal if anyone made a complaint about it.


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