poly - yes, sorry, my language was incorrect - positive action, not discrimination.
Much of the act is also really badly open for interpretation, too. What defines positive action is all down to how it is justified. This does make it difficult to tell what is right and what is wrong.
I've missed the biscuits haven't I?
Bugger.... 😥
They wouldn't let me join the school cycling club which I thought was discrimination...the head reckoned the fact I'm 46, never went to the actual school... and the yellow jackets were too small was reason enough..
It's an outrage I tell you 👿
Steel city was £5 cheaper for being a women, and I moaned about that too , but was told as usual it was to encourage women so was fine
Rachel (allthegear), that is made up internet misinformation. The Equality Act 2010 (which replaced the Sex Discrimination Act 1976) makes it illegal to discriminate on various grounds (including gender and sexual orientation. Positive discrimination (i.e. discriminating in favour of the 'minority' is and always has (since the 1976 Act) been illegal. Positive action, is however acceptable - which is taking action to address a previous imbalance. The rules for this are quite strict. see here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/158
I do know that there are times when you can positively discriminate in employment such as a female prision officer for a female prision but htey are few and far between and you have to have very good reason so im not convinced that a gay clib could turn you away for being straight (but they can just refuse you entry for other reasons).
So much to go for in the other thread, but I don't want to resurrect it.
teamjellybabies - MemberSteel city was £5 cheaper for being a women, and I moaned about that too , but was told as usual it was to encourage women so was fine
teamjellybabies, when a race does cost the same for ladies and gents, do you complain if the men's prizes are bigger/better too? Or do you complain if the women's prize is not reduced in value in proportion to the smaller number of racers or because they do one lap less? 😕 My head hurts.
if I was allowed to race against the ladies, I'd be consistently top three. I demand my rights to race in the female class!
teamjellybabies, you like moaning about women don't you?
I think positive discrimination is ok if the outcome is to actually help encourage/create better equality and fairness as well as increasing participation.
So it is actually illegal to refuse entry to non-gays then?
Don't like moaning about women, just don't like discrimination, and as for race prizes, all the races I enter women have the same prizes as men.
a gay club wouldnt need to refuse entry because someone is straight, every club ive been to (and shops too) usually reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, and they dont need to give a reason for it.
AFAIK, ive been wrong before like.
teamjellybabies - MemberI enter women
Thought you said you were gay?
I've never entered a women :-p lol
And the chicks get it easy at the races too, with fewer laps, which is not only easier, but also gives them more beer time. And then they drink halves which is just a wasted opportunity.
On a more serious note...
SSUK at Bristol bike fest back in 2007 ish. The 12 hour enduro ladies winning team won a set of pedros brushes, split up so they got a brush each... What every girl wants, a brush.
As a ss racer I got a customised stem cap with my name, a nice beer glass, free beer,and a BBQ... And that's for coming 120th or something crap like that.
Pah... I doubt any women that go to one of these evenings are 'scared' of men. I'm bored of meeting men on the trail and shops who offer unwelcome patronising advice telling me I need to buy something for £300 when I fully know what is wrong and it will cost around £20 to put right.
teamjellybabies, you like moaning, don't you?
He's got a point though! It's the thin end of the wedge! It's starts with encouraging girlees, but before you know it people will be demanding utterly crazy stuff like equal rights for Gingers! Madness!
before you know it people will be demanding utterly crazy stuff like equal rights for Gingers! Madness!
You know what's coming don't you? 😉
www.binnerstshirts.com
You only need to check out Chain Reaction to see the impressive deals they do for outsize clothing which is often much cheaper than an M or an L if you're looking to restore some demographic bias back in favour of the paunchy, middle aged male keyboard warrior.
I'm a ginger too :-O
Steel city was £5 cheaper for being a women, and I moaned about that too
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/sick-of-sexual-discrimination-in-bike-events ]Yes we noticed.[/url] You don't seem that quick at learning though.
You only need to check out Chain Reaction to see the impressive deals they do for outsize clothing which is often much cheaper than an M or an L if you're looking to restore some demographic bias back in favour of the paunchy, middle aged male keyboard warrior.
Though being a skinny middle aged keyboard warrior (who occasionally rides cycles, and even more occasionally rides them fast) with little feet I also often tend to do quite well out of such special offers.
[i]I'm a ginger too :-O[/i]
I don't mind you being ginger and your sexuality is of no consequence, but give over moaning about women! 😀
teamjellybabies - Member
If shop staff are condescending then don't use the shop, it surly doesn't call for a separate night. I also belong to a minority group being gay, but I don't expect a gay only night in the bike shop caus I'm afraid of going into a bike shop
.........................................................
I hardly think being gay is a minoritoy group , having been at Pride in Liverpool at the weekend, loads of you about, a prooud weekend for the city.
i love singletrackworld.com
why the f*** does someone getting something you're not bother you so much?
mrs aa's getting 12 months off off mat leave, I'm not gonna cry to the equalities commision that i only got 2 weeks off.
grow up, sometimes ou win, sometimes you lose.
anything to get more women into/onto bikes has got to be a good thing.
stop griping man.
anything to get more women into/onto bikes has got to be a good thing.
Why? If woman choose other activities or no activities rather than cycling that is their choice. I don't see any merit in greater numbers of female cyclists.
Maybe we could have a whip-round to get him his five pounds back? Everyone on this thread could chip in 20p. (Or 10p for ladies).
I'll throw in 15p, if you don't mind?
I suggest you enter the events anyway.
Like the gay nightclub analogy I doubt they could refuse your entry.
Just in case they ask for proof have a prepared [url= http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=man-gina ]man-gina[/url] handy!
team jelly babies is from Liverpol, and theyre always protesting that someone got more than them.
They carry more chips on their shoulder than a chipshop chip fryer with a twitch.
why should i throw in 10p, then i'll be worse off than someone who didn't chip in.
irc - it's a male dominated sport/pastime. a greater variety of participants will bring many positives to us all.
As a real life example of being a female cyclist:
When I ride with my local road club, I am the only woman, in a group of 30-40 guys. They're all great, but it's pretty intimidating to begin with, and even though I'm now comfortable with holding my own in the group, sometimes I feel self-conscious and that I stick out like a sore thumb.
So every month I organise a 'women's ride' for the club, and because they didn't feel like they'd be the only one, quite a few women come along. To be honest, it's great to have other girls to ride with occassionally, we talk about stuff that wouldn't be relevant to guys, and it gives us a more level playing field to compare our relative abilities. Plus it acts as an 'icebreaker' for the main club.
So, no I don't see 'women only' cycling events as discrimination - maybe you guys just don't really understand what it's like being a woman who rides bikes (and often the only one in the group!). And yes, they do help to encourage more women to get into cycling, so hopefully in the future they'll be an equal proportion of girls taking part and there'll be no need for women only cycling events.
Heres a linky to cycle surgery womens nights
http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/cycle-surgery-womens-nights/
When I ride with my local road club, I am the only woman, in a group of 30-40 guys. They're all great, but it's pretty intimidating to begin with, and even though I'm now comfortable with holding my own in the group, sometimes I feel self-conscious and that I stick out like a sore thumb.
To be honest, blokes can be quite hard on blokes too. How many newbies have been welcomed with the STW humour, it's just blokes being socially clumsy. A few spoil it, but in general it's just banter. That's not an excuse, I think, on the whole it's true. Think apprentices and 'long stands' or 'left handed screwdrivers'. Doesn't make it right, it just highlights that both blokes and birds can equally feel intimidated.
So every month I organise a 'women's ride' for the club, and because they didn't feel like they'd be the only one, quite a few women come along. To be honest, it's great to have other girls to ride with occassionally, we talk about stuff that wouldn't be relevant to guys, and it gives us a more level playing field to compare our relative abilities. Plus it acts as an 'icebreaker' for the main club.
Which is perfect.
so hopefully in the future they'll be an equal proportion of girls taking part and there'll be no need for women only cycling events.
Why not?
Blokes ride with blokes.
Birds ride with birds.
Blokes ride with birds.
Blokes ride alone.
Birds ride alone.
It's all good.
[img] 
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I'm wondering if I should complain that there aren't dad only playgroups for kids. I'm often the only male over the age of 5 at things I go to.
maybe [s]you guys[/s] the OP just don't really understand what it's like being a woman who rides bikes (and often the only one in the group!).
FTFY - most of us get it.
don simon - MemberI'll throw in 15p, if you don't mind?
As you have both sets of reproductive organs, you should pay 25p. 
I'm wondering if I should complain that there aren't dad only playgroups for kids. I'm often the only male over the age of 5 at things I go to.
I seen that as a good thing.
NBPA anyone?
They've been refused entry for being straight? I'm sure that's illegal! The worst I've had is 'you do know it's a gay club/pub/night, don't you?'. Never been a problem. I can see that you might get people unwittingly stumbling into a situation they could find uncomfortable, and i can see that clubs want to avoid potential trouble, but surely no club can discriminate on grounds of sexuality? You could never have a club that banned gay people.
My boss used to work in HR for a large group of pub/club and associated eateries ,The "getout" clause/defence was that if it eliminates the risk of violence on their property this was a legitimate right to refuse entry.
Which then begs the question are straight people being discriminated against ? Or is there an inferrence of being more violent than gay people?
Like the gay nightclub analogy I doubt they could refuse your entry.
Just to reiterate - a nightclub reserves the right to deny entry to [i]anyone[/i] for [i]no reason[/i]. Gay clubs may turn you away if you look too straight. They may turn you away if you are part of a large group of women on a hen night. A simple 'not tonight mate' is all that's required.
*Edit after a deserved ticking off from teh Mods. Wanted to make the main point again, though...*
I doubt they could refuse your entry.
Cycle Surgery would not, obviously, turn any chaps away from one of these events. As with the example above, they may well simply say, "It's a ladies night tonight, by the way" and leave it up to said chap to decide if they want to remain in the shop.
These events are a great idea to promote women's cycling. That in turn is promoting cycling. At a time when British cycling is on the up, both in terms of transport and sport, that simply HAS to be a good thing.
Sexist? Hardly, it's a very positive thing. To accuse STW of endorsing sexism? Quite simply wrong.
I'm amazed at this thread. Many sports/passtimes/hobbies have womens night, Its cos men can be leary pervs, its not always our fault, sometimes its just genetic and our eyes naturally rest there... 😳
I have no problem with a once the week exclusion/bias in the other direction. Even more understandable in sport where skin tight clothing is the norm. A pity, but understandable. Damn, sorry. mind, See? keyboard interface not editing well yet. Need more coffee.
Thing that makes me and my mates uncomfortable when we get talking about the cycling community, or the mtb one, the serious one. Well, (and we tip toe round the issue cos we're not sure how to say it and not seem, unPC for lack of a better adjective...) well. round here anyway. It really is very very white. no one says anything. we can't work out why. but it is. There's not much can be done about that in a positive action way without it [s]seeming[/s] being terribly offensive. But I hope in ten years that's no longer the case. But if you wanna get upset about the inclusiveness of our sport. get upset about that.
Its cos men can be leary pervs
You say that like it's a bad thing. Oh...
