Reply #3: It's not anti-feminist [View All]

[ismnotwasm]

What part of gender history, social structure, not to mention rape culture-- past and present, do these people not get?

Some women not only don't feel safe, they aren't safe in many co-gender environments. Traumatized women or women who just don't feel like being hunted have very few options.


This is completely different from body image. Or even Culture, as in the case of Islamic women.

I work out regularly. I lift and do a bit of cardio. I'm assertive and getting old so I don't have to deal with as much bullshit. But I still have to deal with it. I still, and will always, have to watch myself, watch my safety, look over my shoulder. Out of long habit, I monitor my body language, don't meet people in the eye who may be encouraged to approach me simply because I'm female and alone. In this way, I take on most of the responsibility of of that type of social interaction. Used to it. And I think many women do this, without understanding that they do it, or why. For some, that could be very stressful. For some uncomfortable. For some, traumatic.

Some, perhaps, enjoy male/female (or whatever) interaction that can be as innocent as flirtation, or the beginning of relationships with a shared interest.

Personally, I wouldn't use a female only gym. And just as personally I understand the reasons to have them. It's in no way a double standard and only someone immersed in, or buying into, male entitlement would think so.

Even my husband tends to be protective in that sort of hypermascualinized arena, as irritating as that is to me, I understand why.