Womans rights & equality going backwards in 2016.

I suspect any golf club will be a bit more savvy than that.

Though I am a bit unsure what you mean about "playing the trans card". Is that like "playing the race card"? Or like "playing the mental health card"? Or some such? A bit unpleasant any way.

It might be interesting if women wishing to join the golf club play the trans card, and declare themselves male.

The first was regarding the plan to ban abortion in Oklahoma. They are proposing to sentence doctors up to 3 years in prision if they perform an abortion.

There is constitutional right to an abortion in the USA. What oklahoma is doing is chipping away at dates/times/requirements for clinics etc. It can make it exceedingly difficult for a woman to get an abortion (if it goes through) but it cannot ban it completely.

Ireland and Northern Ireland have a complete ban which should be of more concern to people imo.

I don't think the power of the anti-abortion lobby in the States can be viewed solely as an anachronism. I very much doubt this is the direction of travel for Western Europe, i.e. further and further restrictions on our right to access abortion services, but I'm not so sure about Eastern Europe.

I do feel we are struggling with the good old 'the best trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist' problem. I think most people here (in the UK, not on this board!) do not believe sexism is a real issue. You bloody women have had the right to vote for a hundred years, better employment rights protection than most of the world - if things aren't equal by now it's basically your own fault. That kind of thing.

I'm pleased, and somewhat surprised, to see the club being excluded from the Open. That actually is a welcome development.

fwiw I think the Muirfield thing is going to be v short lived. And even if it isn't it will be seen as a joke of an institution fairly soon. Golf clubs are not the yardstick of social engagement.
Oklahoma? It's a bit similar - an anachronism and in no way to be seen as a developmental issue - apart of course for the people directly affected.

So no, we are not going backward. Just some places need a bit more time to catch up with everyone else. But that's always been the way with social change.

hth