Should a women-only hour at the gym be the standard policy?

[GraySoap]

How about we have a Jew only hour or maybe a black only hour or how about a I only eat chicken on Tuesday's hour?

Now you're thinking with reductio ad absurdum.

[FelrikTheDeleted]

If your getting hit on, that means your doing it right. Keep doing that.

And people say sexism is dead.

Nobody in there right mind would make such a claim.

[The United Remnants of America]

I think the entire idea is idiotic. If a woman is too afraid of everyone else's muscles, then buy a stationary bike or a treadmill or something so you can exercise at home. You don't need a "woman's hour" at the gym. Is nothing sacred to these people?

>uni student
>money for large exercise machine

pick

I think the bigger thing to address in the above is that apparently men don't get intimidated at the gym ever. That means either it doesn't happen, which is false, or we've decided as a group it doesn't matter, the equivalent of telling men to suck it up, which is about as useful as having a women's only hour at the gym.

[MERIZoC]

Heh, I was just in the gym in question last week. Go figure.

iirc they have a separate gym for varsity athletes, so thats not a huge issue.

Regardless, I have no problem with this. A couple hours a week for women-only won't hurt anyone.

depends on the scheduling. Training is actually pretty hard to put in ones schedule sometimes, and women only time can cut in to that.
But, hell, just set up a smaller gym for women only classes and session and have them keep all the hours. Equipment ain't actually that expensive, and for this sort of thing does not require much space.

Not cheap to construct new buildings, and money is something a lot of unis are lacking. If you're so packed that 2-3 specific hours in the entire week are the only times when you can go to the gym you've got other problems.

[Lady Scylla]

I was reading such article
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editor ... -good-idea

Imagine you’re going to the university gym for the first time, perhaps after making a New Year’s resolution to get yourself in shape. You don’t know much about how to use the equipment, and when you walk in, the entire football team is there lifting weights. It’s probably intimidating.

Now, consider what this might feel like for a young woman. Or how it would feel for a young woman who’s also religiously observant, and wearing conspicuously modest clothing.

If you can put yourself in this person’s runners, you’ll have a sense of why the Carleton University Students’ Association, the Muslim Students’ Association, the Graduate Students’ Association and a residence association are asking that the gym at Carleton University reserve one hour per day for women only.

There has been backlash to this suggestion, with some opponents claiming the initiative is sexist. Yet it’s a bit odd that the grievance is being raised; after all, the school’s pool already has women-only swim times. It’s the same principle.

There is an inherent value in encouraging more people to get interested in fitness. While body image isn’t just a women’s issue, it does affect more women than men: according to a 2014 parliamentary committee report, for instance, roughly 80 per cent of all eating disorders are found in girls or women.

Contrary to what opponents argue, this gym proposal is not sexism or segregation. It’s a perfectly reasonable accommodation, a minimal imposition in order to make a diverse community comfortable. True, it isn’t the role of a university fitness facility to insert itself into societal debates about religion and gender roles. But it is its role to encourage fitness and ensure that as many people as possible are participating. This measure would help.

We should be leery of enforced religious modesty, but also recognize that religious modesty isn’t necessarily coerced. Young university-educated women are likely to be making their own choices on such matters. And other young women may simply prefer not to be working out with the entire men’s basketball team hefting weights around them. (There’s a reason private women-only fitness facilities, such as Curves, exist.) Opponents of this proposal should be asking what they’re doing that is making their fellow classmates uncomfortable at the gym.

Other universities, with more than one gym, have resolved the issue fairly easily. At Carleton, there’s only one, however. But reserved times work for the pool, so they can work here as well.

And if this proposal gets more young women – of any faith or culture – to spend time on fitness, it’s worth the small compromise involved.

Emphasis mine.
Worth noting even the words under the photo

Sydney is the program coordinator at CU Students Association Womyn's Centre and they are campaigning for a women-only hour at the gym. Response has been mostly positive, but some posters were torn down and vandalized.

So, basically, we have, at Carleton University, the Womyn's Centre making a perfectly reasonable demand, having positive responses, but then being attacked and harassed by unknown misogynists: pretty coward, isn't it?

Personally I think that that the Womyn's Centre demand is not just only perfectly reasonable but it should be the standard policy within universities: a women-only hour at the gym, each day. I even think that it would be a very good idea for every gym, not just only within universities.

What do you think NSGs?

When you spell things as "womyn" I stop taking you seriously, not that you had much reputability to begin with. Other than that -- No. Little reason for it. (Also ignores bi/homosexual women, so unlikely to get away from eyes.)

[Ormata]

>uni student
>money for large exercise machine

pick

I think the bigger thing to address in the above is that apparently men don't get intimidated at the gym ever. That means either it doesn't happen, which is false, or we've decided as a group it doesn't matter, the equivalent of telling men to suck it up, which is about as useful as having a women's only hour at the gym.

Which is a claim that is clearly wrong. As a male, and a skinny one at that, I am intimidated by gyms.

[Minzerland II]

Heh, I was just in the gym in question last week. Go figure.

You don’t know much about how to use the equipment, and when you walk in, the entire football team is there lifting weights. It’s probably intimidating.

iirc they have a separate gym for varsity athletes, so thats not a huge issue.

Regardless, I have no problem with this. A couple hours a week for women-only won't hurt anyone.

Except inconvenience people for no good nor apparent reason.

[Kubra]

depends on the scheduling. Training is actually pretty hard to put in ones schedule sometimes, and women only time can cut in to that.
But, hell, just set up a smaller gym for women only classes and session and have them keep all the hours. Equipment ain't actually that expensive, and for this sort of thing does not require much space.

Not cheap to construct new buildings, and money is something a lot of unis are lacking. If you're so packed that 2-3 specific hours in the entire week are the only times when you can go to the gym you've got other problems.

oh no, have you seen to goods a lot of uni gyms are packing? Olympic plates, platforms, the whole shebang, and don't get me started on what the athletes get. Uni gyms are kinda a prestige thing more than a monetary thing, they're more than willing to skimp on profs it it brings in barbells. As far as I can see, having separate facilities for women can only contribute to that.
We of the precariat run on tight schedules, bruv. Even the 9-5s are only good for certain times. And it's not as if we can just abolish the economic system that makes it so. Right now.

[Thermodolia]

Heh, I was just in the gym in question last week. Go figure.

iirc they have a separate gym for varsity athletes, so thats not a huge issue.

Regardless, I have no problem with this. A couple hours a week for women-only won't hurt anyone.

Except inconvenience people for no good nor apparent reason.

Positive discrimination is a good thing. *Nods*

[FelrikTheDeleted]

I think so. I'm so tired of being hit on by people (because that totally happens I swear) that I'd like a women-only hour. Not to mention that that'd give me some fun times.

Being uncomfortable is not an excuse to receive special treatment so as to escape the grievances of life.

[Minzerland II]

Except inconvenience people for no good nor apparent reason.

Positive discrimination is a good thing. *Nods*

But only when directed towards women and minorities, otherwise it is simply racism. *nod*

[GraySoap]

Imagine a men-only hour at the pool.

Who'd even go? lol. Just our boys Fehlpes and Lockty.

[Thermodolia]

Imagine a men-only hour at the pool.

Who'd even go? lol. Just our boys Fehlpes and Lockty.

I'd go. It would be a great time to oogle

[White Chrobatia]

I think so. I'm so tired of being hit on by people (because that totally happens I swear) that I'd like a women-only hour. Not to mention that that'd give me some fun times.

If your getting hit on, that means your doing it right. Keep doing that.

You'd think that, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable

[Kubra]

I think the bigger thing to address in the above is that apparently men don't get intimidated at the gym ever. That means either it doesn't happen, which is false, or we've decided as a group it doesn't matter, the equivalent of telling men to suck it up, which is about as useful as having a women's only hour at the gym.

Which is a claim that is clearly wrong. As a male, and a skinny one at that, I am intimidated by gyms.

yeah, most skinny guys would do a lot better if folks would just be friendly and give them pointers and just generally give the place a good atmosphere
bonus points if they were plain hoodies, guys with plain hoodies in the gym are heroes.

[FelrikTheDeleted]

If your getting hit on, that means your doing it right. Keep doing that.

You'd think that, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable

Something one will have to get used to.

[Ormata]

If your getting hit on, that means your doing it right. Keep doing that.

You'd think that, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable

I will again state that Lesbians exist. You will not escape being hit on; that is a general fact.

[GraySoap]

yeah, most skinny guys would do a lot better if folks would just be friendly and give them pointers and just generally give the place a good atmosphere

nah, just leave me alone

[Uxupox]

Heh, I was just in the gym in question last week. Go figure.

You don’t know much about how to use the equipment, and when you walk in, the entire football team is there lifting weights. It’s probably intimidating.

iirc they have a separate gym for varsity athletes, so thats not a huge issue.

Regardless, I have no problem with this. A couple hours a week for women-only won't hurt anyone.

This is discrimination against males. Plain and simple.

[Kubra]

yeah, most skinny guys would do a lot better if folks would just be friendly and give them pointers and just generally give the place a good atmosphere

nah, just leave me alone

aw cmon man we're only as big as our smallest member
it's community and friendship and shit

[White Chrobatia]

You'd think that, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable

Something one will have to get used to.

Yeah, men will be men and boys will be boys :/ that's acceptable behavior.

You'd think that, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable

I will again state that Lesbians exist. You will not escape being hit on; that is a general fact.

Still it's common courtesy not to do something like that unless it's under very specific circumstances. Don't get me wrong, it's flattering, but sometimes it gets dumb and annoying.

[Thermodolia]

Heh, I was just in the gym in question last week. Go figure.

iirc they have a separate gym for varsity athletes, so thats not a huge issue.

Regardless, I have no problem with this. A couple hours a week for women-only won't hurt anyone.

This is discrimination against males. Plain and simple.

Males don't get discriminated against because the patriarchy or something

[White Chrobatia]

This is discrimination against males. Plain and simple.

Males don't get discriminated against because the patriarchy or something

yea thats about right

tbh if dudes want a dude only hour let em have it.

I just want a women only hour too

[Uxupox]

This is discrimination against males. Plain and simple.

Males don't get discriminated against because the patriarchy or something

mr. bad patriarchy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FelrikTheDeleted]

Something one will have to get used to.

Yeah, men will be men and boys will be boys :/ that's acceptable behavior.

I will again state that Lesbians exist. You will not escape being hit on; that is a general fact.

Still it's common courtesy not to do something like that unless it's under very specific circumstances. Don't get me wrong, it's flattering, but sometimes it gets dumb and annoying.

Whether it is acceptable behaviour or not, this is how many a men meet women. This is how it has occurred for centuries, it isn't likely to change for a long time. People ought not be afforded special treatment because they feel uncomfortable. Life has its grievances, these grievences will have to be dealt with throughout your life.