Reply #7: I think it depends on what purpose the gym is for [View All]

[blueraven95]

if it's for the obvious purpose, exercising, then I fully support women-only gyms. I know that I personally hate going to the gym, simply because I feel like everyone's watching me. While intellectually I know this isn't true, I also know I'd feel a lot more comfortable (although, probably not fully comfortable) in a women-only gym. If the idea of a gym is to be a place that gives opportunity, encouragement, and support people who might otherwise not be motivated to get in shape, then I cannot see how a gender-segregated gym is a bad idea. I also think a female-only gym is uniquely able to give support to women, particularly because often women are not taught the best methods for getting and staying in shape.

However, as one poster in the other thread pointed out, if gyms are networking places, then a gender-segregated gym system is very quickly going to turn into a problem for women. History suggests that generally segregated organizations very quickly turn into a way for the powerful to hold onto their power and subjugate those not in power. In this case it would probably result in obviously ways, like better equipment in the male-only gyms, and in less obvious ways, like big deals being brokered in the men's bar and lounge areas. I don't think this is something that feminists want to promote, even indirectly.

I think it's a bit of a catch-22 situation, personally, and I'm not sure there are any obvious fixes. Possibly the gyms that have a male section and a female section, and possibly a co-ed section, but the lounge and bar area are completely desegregated. Just a thought.