The Guardian and the Garrick Club: I'm confused

[Sizzlysausage]

Has anyone seen The Guardian's expose of the Garrick Club, centred on its refusal to allow women? I'm confused. On the one hand I guess it's consistent with a view that single sex spaces should not be protected - whether male or female. But on the other, if we can change our sex at will, or if biological sex is a myth, why does it matter? I mean in theory, I (female) could live as a man for a few weeks or so, and then should by rights be granted access. I am not an ex-Judge or newspaper editor or anything so I recognise that might cause some difficulties, but I don't see how biological sex should be the barrier on that basis because presumably it is or at least should be a matter of gender? And since gender is a question of self-identification, I guess I could also identify back into being a woman if I found it was full of old duffers and I wasn't that bothered after all. Does The Garrick Club allow trans men? Is it legal for the Garrick Club to exclude trans men? Not sure how all this works.

It's nothing to do with protection of single sex spaces which should only exist where the need outweighs the negative effects of segregation

I can't see what need exists at the Garrick club to be single sex that outweighs the negative effect on women from being excluded

And I also see that it's pretty impossible to have an equivalent just for women - they could have the club but it wouldn't be with the same influence

I guess I could also identify back into being a woman if I found it was full of old duffers and I wasn't that bothered after all.

😆

Yeah, the argument against clubs like The Garrick was that women were excluded from valuable networking and influence opportunities.

Imo, the Men's Shed movement and other groups that target men's mental health and wellbeing have a good argument for being single sex, but not these sorts of social clubs.

Anyway, The Guardian would likely say that no woman or man would exploit gender self-id because that's a Thing That Never Happens.

(No idea whether The Garrick is using a gender-expansive definition of men, colour me surprised if they're not.)

A priviliged mens club is not like the most basic safety and dignity for women and children.

Absolutely

The Garrick club is where the Guardian's former editor was a member.