Is "female only" the new apartheid?

Question

(plagiarised from Aripal with contributions from Guns and others)

Has misandry run amok? What's next, men at the back of the bus? Women are demanding and getting things that are utterly sexist. Women asking for female-only hours at gyms often say that they feel uncorfortable working out in front of men. They way things are going I could see some women asking that the front of the bus be reserved for them because they feel uncomfortable sitting with men.

Domestic Violence Act law in India that solely favor women

http://mynation.net/study-report-dvact.htm

http://mynation.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/domestic-violence-act-misuse-in-focus/

Title IX

http://www.siue.edu/ALESTLE/library/SPRING2001/jan18/titleix.html

http://writing.colostate.edu/gallery/talkingback/v2.2/graff.htm

Women Business Ownership Assistance program

http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.PROGRAM_TEXT_RPT.SHOW?p_arg_names=prog_nbr&p_arg_values=59.043

Harvard institutes women-only gym hours.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556551/

Sharia Swimtime for Muslims Women only

http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/004929.html

Women only buses in Mexico and Brazil

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=4774104

Women only beach in Italy

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=33404

Answer 1

Sigh, today is the only time in history where it has been legally and socially acceptable to discriminate against white, heterosexual males. We are becoming the minority and 3rd wave feminism is the tip of the spear for the discrimination.

How ironic is it that the people who traditionally oppressed people are now becoming the oppressed?  

Answer 2

What I find absurd is when feminist make claims that men will benefit too, and their goals will free men from the chains of masculinity. As if masculinity is a socially engineered prison.

Answer 3

Golly...this can be a tricky conversation.

As a woman, I don't think it's appropriate to look for women-only things.  Personally, I think that the most effective way to be considered equal is to act equal, and that means everyone has to share.

However, as a woman, I can tell you that men have had men-only things for centuries, so to a certain extent, it's only fair that we get some things for ourselves (besides the dishes!).

I think the women-only hours at the gym is a little silly, but for Muslim women, this may be their only opportunity to use a gym.  That's definitely more a religious issue than it is a sexism issue.

I can't speak much to the issue of women-only buses in Mexico and Brazil, except to say that there may be a safety issue involved.  If they're legitimately being sexually harassed, then I think it may be the only way to protect the populace, unfortunately.

A woman-only beach is just a waste of a beach...if you're not comfortable being seen in your bathing suit, then stay home!

There are legitimate arguments for a female bias in some of the issues you have noted.  

Domestic violence, for example, is something that effects women significantly more than men...And in many countries, the existing laws favor men to the point that one law that favors women probably still only gets them a microscopic bit of protection.  I think that considering the roles of men and women in India, it's not very likely that a man would need protection from domestic violence, and the law probably covers what is really needed (sadly).

Title IX is another one that is there for the right reasons.  It's unfortunate that men's programs in the referenced articles have been hit.  There are, however, a lot of things that go into it.  Your SI article references the dismantling of 10 men's teams at James Madison University.  The committee there COULD have voted to increase the number of available women's sports teams, but instead, decided to eliminate the men's teams.  This is a choice that they made, partially because of Title IX, but also partially because of funding.  The funding issue is even more prevalent in public schools, where funds come from tax dollars, instead of tuition.  FYI, a parent at our local high school filed suit recently, on the basis of Title IX infringement.  I personally read the results of the audit, and can promise you that it was done with integrity, and with the intent to ensure that everything was balanced for all students.  Much of how Title IX is enforced is up to the schools, so you should be upset with them, not us women (who have been left out of so much for so long).

With regard to Crouching Doggie's answer.  There's no hate in it, whatsoever.  There may be anger over being considered 'second class' citizens for so long, but that, surely, is understandable to anyone who thinks about it for a millisecond.  If we ALL would simply treat each other like human beings, without considering gender first, then we'd ALL be better off.

Answer 4

Division by sexes is old, and not a part of feminism.  Feminism believes that separate is NOT equal.  All these things you mention go backwards in time to the Victorian era, when men and women were not allowed on the beach at the same time.  You should look to the religious right and Muslims for the blame.  They separate the sexes.  NOT feminism.

You are just silly with your bus commentary.  

You also insult all black people with this allusion as you insult real victims of apartheid.  Don't take someone's REAL trauma and compare it to your imaginary injustice.

Answer 5

Yes.  And being human, greed feels oh so good to them.

Sadly they cannot see a true agressor from an innocent man.  And boys...have you ever heard an extreme feminist writer online talk about her son?  No, they talk about their daughters.  

End result:  lots of business for doctors, RX cos, psychologists, jails, security, etc.  Social chaos is here to stay.  And we WILL become a police state to enforce the unfair laws.  As mommy and daughter go swimming, fathers and sons will be drowning from lack of opportunity.

This is Gendercide via being Politically Correct.  You just can't talk about it, but it's happening.  The perfect n***s...

they can kill and say "who me?  I didn't do nothing."