It’s about time this sort of thing happened, women only clubs and organisations being called out over their innate sexism. If we’re going to have rules against such things then they must be impartially applied – the rule of law being vastly more important to society than any particular political tergiversation which might try to defend such practices.
And such logic bending does exist. Black only clubs and organisations are not only allowed but pushed by some, for only in that manner can the historic oppression by the pinkish types be fought. Women only is just fine but men only isn’t. Because, well, because really.
That rule of law thing though, really it means sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander:
The New York human rights commission is investigating a women’s only work space and networking club for breaking the city’s strict anti-discrimination laws.
The Wing was founded in founded in 2016 as a private social club and co-working space for women, and currently has more than 1,500 members working from three offices in New York, and now one in Washington DC.
If such a club existed purely and only for men and it would face such an investigation as a result then a women only one should, indeed must, as well.
The correct answer here is quite different of course, it is to be liberal. As we are, true and proper, liberals. Which is to say that private organisations, as long as there is no direct third party harm, can just get on with things as they wish. Career misses as a result of not being part of a select club are not direct harm, at very most they’re indirect, and so don’t count. The rest of us have to tolerate the existence of those private clubs but not join them, and we’ve also that same right to set up our own such however we damn well like.
Yes, this doesn’t accord with the modern and progressive meaning of liberal but then the progressives aren’t liberals, are they?
There is though a wondrous defence available to The Wing:
The club’s glamorous founders Audrey Gelman and Lauren Kassan, both 30, have cultivated a circle of social-media celebrities that includes the writer, editor and actress Tavi Gevinson, and the transgender actress and Gucci model Hari Nef. Lena Dunham, writer of Girls, was bridesmaid at Ms Gelman’s wedding to Ilan Zechory, a founder of Genius, the music website; Chelsea Manning is a member of the club.
“We have a diverse, culturally-rich, positive environment,” Ms Gelman told The Telegraph.
We’ll bet heavily that the one thing that isn’t diverse is the range of cultural and political views. Still, there is a certain amount of gender diversity there, isn’t there? Although the use of this defence would run straight into another progressive idea, that gender is whatever people say it is. With two trans women there it’s at least arguable that they are admitting men and therefore there’s no sexual discrimination going on. A tough one to argue with a straight face given the current progressive insistence that no, really, they’re women, but we can imagine a lawyer trying it on as an argument in court.
In fact, we’d love to see a lawyer trying that on in court just for the jollies of it.
But to be back and serious again. If we’ve laws against gender discrimination in club membership – something we shouldn’t have but we do – then they should indeed apply to women only organisations just as much, equally so, as to men only. And if people like Lena Dunham come out against such equal application of the law then they’re even dumber than I thought they were.
What’s it got to do with that Fokker in the picture?
It’s a starboard wing…
The caption does explain this
Who could miss the opportunity to trot out the old Fokker single entendre? For it is indeed a Fokker wing.
That Fokker was a Messerschmitt. (The old ones are the best :))
Well, yes, but there was me thinking it was a subtle gesture to show the right wing of an aircraft. But like my friend below says…
And if people like Lena Dunham come out against such equal application of the law then they’re even dumber than I thought they were.
Yeah. About that ….
In a reasonable world anyone should be allowed to form whatever club they like. If women want to sit around doing whatever they do in such gatherings that is fine by me. It is odd to see what is more or less women gathering around the village well as some sort of feminist break through.
Seen the dangerous place this shit ends up, down here in Spain. Domestic disputes. Couple having a shouting match in the early hours. Well meaning neighbour calls the police. Police show up, arrest the bloke, cart him off & he’s in court after couple nights in the cell. Wife down there trying to get him out. Her side: She says it was her doing most of the shouting. Not without provocation, but… No hint of physical violence. She even protested them taking him. But that’s the procedure. That’s what they do. Bloke’s always in the wrong. Woman’s always the injured… Read more »
The police arrest someone simply on the basis that a third party “heard some shouting”? WTF. If that’s standard procedure in N Africa, then don’t answer the door. The next day: “Oh, sorry officer, deaf as door nails / we sleep with ear plugs. Noise? When was this?”. Or is standard procedure down there then simply to smash the door down and start shooting..:)
If the news hasn’t reached you, Spain is mostly not in North Africa. Over the way, I believe remonstrating with the missus with a stick no thicker than your thumb is the preferred option.
I should have said missuses, shouldn’t I? 🙂 They-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.
“If the news hasn’t reached you”
I occasionally gravitate towards / favour the Italian approach to geography… And, yes, usually provoked by exactly the kind of thing you mention 🙂
This is the interesting point, how do you distinguish between acting as an interest group and acting as equality group. The only fair answer is set the same rules for everyone, that’s the equality bit done, and allow groups to form in their own interest.