[Closed] Would this be contrary to the Sexual Discrimination Act 1975? (Not OT)

Gets right on my tits that does.

i think technically it would do, but you'd actually have to complain quite vociferously and no-one would actually give a shite anyway. In the same way that Sheilas Wheels actually offer mens insurance it's just so exorbitantly priced that they effectively don't.

so, if you want to go, grow some boobs and a beard, stick your mister between your legs. You're in!

Dunno, but some sexism is worth worrying about and some isn't. This falls into the latter camp.

druidh, haven't I seen a photo of you up a mountain in a pair of hot-pants??

I think you'd be allowed in 😉

scaredypants - Member

druidh, haven't I seen a photo of you up a mountain in a pair of hot-pants??

Well I have - come on Druidh - you are missing the chance to show [i]that[/i] picture again

a serious answer - as its outside the UK then SDA does not apply Other wise I think it might

i don't really fancy the free energy flapjack and womens clothes swag much myself,
i think people would question your motives wanting to go to a womens skills camp.....

When was the last time you went out for a ride and saw a whole group of women riding together? I'm all for more women riders and, if this is what it takes to get them on a bike and riding more, I'm all for it.

I would much rather direct my ire towards all of the TV adverts selling their product on the back of an anti-men message or Boots' insinuation, through their "Here come the girls" adverts, that only women know what they and their family need and that Boots is the shop to supply it.

I'm with Poppa on this one.

[i]Many of our female guests have expressed an interest in “women’s only” skills weeks, away from the gun-ho environment that men tend to bring with them. With 3 female guides (and of course Mark)[/i]

Is there something not very errrrr .....gun-ho (sic) about Mark ??

[img] [/img]That looks fantastic BTW and as I'm not very 'gung-ho' and fully in touch with my feminine side.........

<resists writing anything about 'riding like a girl'.....'lesbian trapped in a mans body' etc etc...>

I know of at least 1 company that offers women only courses for bike skills (along side mixed ones) and I don't think they've had any problems with the legal side of offering a course like that.

I wish you hadn't asked though, because now I want to go!

This is a bit like women only swimming sessions and so on. Personally I don't care, but I did hear of a few places which have had to cancel after men have complained that it is sexual discrimination.

There's plenty of women's only classes for activities in the UK e.g. swimming, so this is nothing unusual, nor unwelcome.

Why is it sexist?

1. Male riders making female riders nervous? Check
2. Relaxing, learn how to flow better with no outside pressure? Check
3. Easy going, fun trails learnt and improved at own pace? Check.

Or should they ride with 40yr old men who wear body armour and this year Oakleys trying to hold onto their hair as well as their ego's?

Cannot possibly be sexist since women can not be sexist.
Its positive discrimination.

specifically favouring or excluding a particular section of the community on grounds of gender, orientation, race, age.......

Unfortunately it probably is discrimination but it's another one of those daft areas where no right thinking person would think anything of it but others will claim it's the thin end of the wedge, etc.

I mean, what red blooded male would want to spend a week in a chalet with a group of athletic ladies anyway.

As much as this thread could be a lot of fun, I've got a sensible answer. I found out on a course a few years back about social inclusion in sport, that it's not discrimination to organise events for minorities. As women are in the minority in mountain biking, they can do this without fear of recrimination(and who in their right mind would object?).

You couldn't do one for men only though. That would be discrimination.

Or at least, that's how I understood it and I did pass the course.

what's more sexist is that the womens wimbledon winner gets the same money as the mens, yet they only have to win 2 sets rather than 3. on a per hour/set/point basis the men get paid less... 😉

Ditto Onzadog.

We were taken to task and threatened to have local authority grant funding reduced or removed at our cricket club (note - cricket, it's relevant). This was because the demographic of our membership did not match up to the demographic of the area we were in and we weren't taking active steps to promote our cricket club to the 'missing' demography.

The problem being we had sizeable Italian and South East Asian communities in our catchment. Neither of which culturally are very interested in cricket. So we leafleted some of the areas involved, the quango muppet ticked her box and the cheque arrived. Daft.

[Oddly, we did actually have a Korean lad in our colts section, his dad was a diplomat and he'd got into cricket through being at public school in the area. Which probably put us at the forefront of SE Asian membership already!]

I hope it doesn't cost a lot for the week, what with women earning less than men and all that.

BBC's new pilot series; Grumpy old men on bikes.

[i]I would much rather direct my ire towards all of the TV adverts selling their product on the back of an anti-men message or Boots' insinuation, through their "Here come the girls" adverts, that only women know what they and their family need and that Boots is the shop to supply it. [/i]

I use to work for Boots, or more correctly the company that bought Boots. When we 'merged' I was at a meeting and we were discussing the business. On a particular point I was asked my opinion. I just said that I didn't shop at Boots and based upon their advertising couldn't imagine why a bloke would go there - silence...

I think you just have to take it on the chin as it being one of those annoying positive discrimination things. Women can get away with what they like, whereas if you try to do anything men only, society kicks you in the nads. Take the scouts for instance, long traditions of both scouts and guides, all worked out perfectly, until some muppet took offence that she couldnt join the scouts, and dragged them over the coals until they were forced to give in. Totally pointless whinging wins the day again..... welcome to britain. 😀

Why is it sexist?

1. Male riders making female riders nervous? Check
2. Relaxing, learn how to flow better with no outside pressure? Check
3. Easy going, fun trails learnt and improved at own pace? Check.

[img] [/img]

Nah, some examples from other sports...

Rip Curl Girls/Surf Girl Magazine learn to surf events for women, women only weeks at Woodward Skateboard/BMX Camps, women only weeks at at least three snowboard summer camps I can think of have all been running for at least 10 years.

Although, thinking about it those first two wouldn't be covered under UK law anyway.

The real outrage is that La Senza wouldn't even interview me for that bra fitting position.

on the rare occasion i see women riding with the group im with they get treated the same as men.

Whats the point in mountain biking if you just piss about?

Now dont take that sexistly, ive seen men on full suss rigs who were less willing to ride than women who were out for their first time on hardtails with spds.

on the rare occasion i see women riding with the group im with they get treated the same as men.

I must admit I am abit like SFB around female riders. I tend to stand as near to them as possible and grin inanely. 8)

Personally I don't care, but I did hear of a few places which have had to cancel after men have complained that it is sexual discrimination.

Yeah sure that happened.

Now THAT is sexist. You are assuming that all women are timid little creatures with low skill level, who need careful handling otherwise they will burst into tears.

You exaggerate, but you're on the right lines. Women [b]typically[/b] approach riding with a different attitude, and indeed [b]often[/b] ride for different reasons. They also [b]tend[/b] to have an entirely different approach to learning and, if anything, will underestimate their skill level. A [b]typically[/b] male aggressive and competitive approach to learning and riding doesn't really appeal to many women; hence the interest in, and market for, female coaching.

I am using generalisations and so there are of course exceptions to everything that I say.

>(and of course Mark)<

Bet Mark walks around with a big grin on his face all day...

[i]"I am using generalisations and so there are of course exceptions to everything that I say."[/i]
Well, yes,I can see that, but it makes a far more interesting thread when people jump to conclusions and deliberately misinterpret what other people say.

I must admit I am abit like SFB around female riders. I tend to stand as near to them as possible and grin inanely

Oi! I make no secret of the fact I prefer women, but I hope my grins are winning and not inane 🙂

[b]"Toys19's alps training course for boys only, no girls allowed. "[/b]

Would this be as bad?

No thats my grin (no interpersonal-skills!). When I see girls I tend to shuffle up and stare. Then if theres a stick nearby I'll pick it up and poke them gingerly in the arm.

Someone took it a bit serious?

mark @ joy-riders.com - July 6th, 2010
A slight revision on the wording – it should have read “women’s specific” in the text not “women’s only”
Cheers Mark

I don't really get that (the woman only, although I don't get skill courses either, waste of money IMHO).

I can see two reason why a girl would want to ride. One, have a shared activity with her partner. Second, they just like riding bikes.
Now why would someone not be caring attentive to his partner while teaching her the basics or mtbing is beyond me. Maybe, just maybe the relationship needs to be "re-evaluated". Second, if the girl like it well, I am sure anyone who rides a bike and has not got a login on STW is genuinely not a cock and will be happy to help. Plus they are plenty of clubs that run beginners session.

Coming from another sport where there is no "girl only classes" I just cant understand that. Surely if you like your sport, you'll do your best to help others to do some.

No...

Then if we look from the marketing side of things 😉

Drac - Member
[b]Personally I don't care, but I did hear of a few places which have had to cancel after men have complained that it [/b]is sexual discrimination.
Yeah sure that happened.

Well it was in the local rag (and I can't find it online) so possibly it was boswellox and they've retracted it, but the daily wail has a similar story from Brizzle: http://www.****/news/article-374862/Council-hot-water-women-swimming-sessions.html (and yes I know the mail is full of shite)

It's not discrimination, as there are lots of holidays that men CAN take. You have a choice in the matter.

If a swimming pool held women-only sessions excluding men for certain times, so that men could NOT go swimming because they were men - that's discrimination. You can't swim, because you are a man.

In the above case, you can still go on holiday if you are a man.

I've been wondering why there are women’s only gyms available (as an environment where women can exercise and relax without the pressure etc from men), but men’s only clubs are now banned and have to allow women to join (surely a men’s club is offering an environment where [s]wo[/s]men can [s]exercise and[/s] relax without the pressure etc from [s]men[/s] women)?!

but men’s only clubs are now banned and have to allow women to join

So, is it discrimination when races have categories for eg male 16+ and male 40+ but only women 16+?

Whatever the law says, and whatever people think [i]should[/i] happen, the fact remains that many women feel uncomfortable joining in with a male dominated activity.
I've regularly been the only bloke in a yoga class of 20+ women. It didn't bother me, I just focused on what the instructor was saying.
A friend of mine entered a downhill race and was very concious that a lot of the guys were staring at her.

If one or two women can stick it out at the start, other women will be more likely to join in.
We've got a fairly regular group around the Wyre Forest that includes the top woman in the Midland Trailquests league and the top veteran woman from Set2Rise 12 hour solo.
I've been on some rides where the grrrls outnumber the guys.

Now that I’ve had a spare 5 minutes I thought I’d say a few words here 🙂

What we’ve done here is nothing new, so we haven’t really gone out on a limb. Almost every company in the cycling industry offers women specific products (women specific bikes, women specific clothing etc etc) - our product here is no different.

In fact there are a number of women’s skills courses both in and outside of the UK (one advertising in MBR every month).

Mountain biking is heavily dominated by male riders - women are the next big thing in Mountain biking. It makes business sense to accommodate them by providing courses / bikes / clothing.

Once the women’s market is saturated companies will turn their attention to kids (as they aren’t yet fully accommodated for when it comes to proper mountain bikes etc - a kid’s 20” bike weighs a ton!!!).

It’s a gap in the market and women are asking for these types of courses (and other products). We’d hate for anyone to think that we are discriminating and we certainly wouldn't turn any bloke away when it comes to one of our holidays, we have enough guides and other resources to accommodate everyones needs 🙂

All the best and keep riding 🙂

Mark