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Original poster

The boat race and equality

141 replies

businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 11:58

What's your opinion on this?

www.bbc.com/sport/0/rowing/32130222

How is it equality if women are still not allowed to race together with the men or, even better, take part in the men's team trials and get rid of gender segregation all together by having a single race for everyone?

Keeping them separated and having the women's race first as some sort of ''appetizer'' before the men take part in the ''main event'' only helps encourage the stereotype that women are inferior at sports and how they're just ''for the boys''. Hmm

OP posts:
YonicScrewdriver · 12/04/2015 16:15

"Re the boat race, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Put them on first and somebody thinks this reduces them to a warm-up act! Really?"

Yops, the primary somebody who purports to think that is the OP, and I verg much doubt this is a true concern of his.

SabrinnaOfDystopia · 12/04/2015 16:10

It does rather sound like "you women want equality - well, you have to compete equally with the men then!" OP. Which is a rather dubious argument in light of pp's comments.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 16:08

lol vivacia

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 16:07

So you're a man
Who has come onto a mainly female website
Gone to the feminist board
And started a thread telling women that you don't want to see women or girls competing in the majority of sports.

Well OK.

You're not the first, and you won't be the last.

Vivacia · 12/04/2015 16:07

The thing about equality in women's sports? There's not enough discussion about men.

Original poster
businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 16:06

I am quite tall for my country (Romania) though, the average guy here is about as tall as the average dutch woman, around 5'8''. Feel like a giant sometimes.

OP posts:
JeanneDeMontbaston · 12/04/2015 16:06

Yes, why would gender be any sort of issue, when we're discussing gender?

SabrinnaOfDystopia · 12/04/2015 16:05

My favourite matches in Wimbledon are often the veterans matches and the mixed doubles. Best do away with them too - they're clearly ageist and sexist. Confused

Original poster
businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 16:04

Either that or I'm in the 0.00001% female height range. Yes, I'm a bloke, guilty as charged. I didn't deny it so not sure why that's an issue.

OP posts:
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 15:58

So you're a bloke then?

Original poster
businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 15:57

About 6'1'' and I don't know prob about 75-80 kg. What's that got to do with anything? Grin

OP posts:
Anniegetyourgun · 12/04/2015 15:53
Anniegetyourgun · 12/04/2015 15:51

But if there are two teams there are twice as many opportunities to get in. Surely that is a good thing? You want to halve the opportunity Confused

Oh go on, I'll bite. How tall are you, OP, and how much do you weigh?

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 15:50

I do worry about ageism though.

At the moment many competitions have a "veterans" type category. Also in schools, children tend to compete against those in the same year group / age bracket.

I think this is grossly unfair and must be stopped.

CaveMum · 12/04/2015 15:50

Just to wade in, as this popped up in Active Threads, but the most equal sports are actually those involving Equestrianism. Men and women compete on a completely level playing field with access to the same funding and opportunities.

Look at jockeys like Katie Walsh (winner of this year's Irish Grand National), Nina Carberry (winner at the Cheltenham Festival and also the Grand National meeting this weekend) and Hayley Turner (most successful female jockey in the UK). As well as leading event riders like Mary King and Zara Phillips, not to mention multiple Olympic Gold Medallist and World Record breaking dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin.

Original poster
businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 15:50

So do you think women should row competitively or not?

No. I just want everyone to get an equal chance to get into the team, man or woman.

OP is also presumably against weight categories in sports like Boxing.

No, that would be wrong. But would you agree that men and women of the same weight should box against each other?

OP posts:
Anniegetyourgun · 12/04/2015 15:50

We should also campaign against the Paralympics, obviously. Athletes with one leg should be expected to run on an equal basis as athletes with two, and if they can't they're just not good enough, right? Right? No?

Vivacia · 12/04/2015 15:49

What more do you want, women? We let you do your little races and events, and now you want equal recognition, facilities and funding?! Madness! Don't you know there's little point training women or putting money into sports for women because they can never be as "good" as the men!

Yes, this is pretty much it.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 15:48

Right so you want to see an end to women competing in the vast majority of sports.

This presumably will run right through from school, amateur competitions, county level and so on and so forth right up to the highest level.

Well fair enough that's your view and you are of course entitled to it Smile

ChopperGordino · 12/04/2015 15:46

Is this what you're waiting for OP?

The boat race and equality
Koalafications · 12/04/2015 15:46

This is a really bizarre thread.

Anniegetyourgun · 12/04/2015 15:45

It may be true about the height and muscle (on average), but it's bullshit about the endurance. That's why just as many women as men are able to run marathons.

I am also unsure where they claim that a large strong man is less likely to get injured than a shorter woman with a lower muscle ration. It would be interesting to see (verified) comparative figures.

ChopperGordino · 12/04/2015 15:43

Indeed Whirlpool. Thinking on it, there was a previous poster who started loads of threads saying that feminists should be campaigning for women to fight in men's boxing or somesuch

Original poster
businesshoursareover · 12/04/2015 15:43

ChopperGordino and WhirlpoolGalaxyM51,

All I'm asking for is equality. Everyone takes part in the same trials, same races, same boats, same training, same everything. The men or women who are good enough are selected to compete in one big genderless race. That's it.

OP posts:
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 12/04/2015 15:42

Women's participation in sport should be limited to the tasks that their biology and evolution naturally equip them for:

  • Washing kit
  • Making sandwiches / tea for situations like local cricket
  • If they are pretty, getting to fellate the winners

I think that's it? I may have missed something.