Men allowed to say no to women members. Surely this is illegal these days?

[Wemaybebetterstrangers]

https://apple.news/AXXl9B8PWSRuuHhkn-BhRTw

Frankly I wouldn’t want to spend my time surrounded by these men. However women should have the choice..

Maybe if women self ID as men..

Can women legitimately campaign for womens only spaces while simultaneously complaining about male only spaces?

I don’t see anything wrong with single sex spaces, for either sex.

I bet the Savile club wouldn’t tolerate Trans Men

No, I think it’s fine. Men should be able to have male only spaces and women should be able to have female only spaces. Obviously this should be related to employment or where government business is done etc as that would be discriminatory. But social clubs should be allowed to be single sex.

No it's fair enough. WI is women only. More or less

I meant SHOULDN’T not should

Don’t have a problem with it 🤷‍♀️

I think this has come up on other threads.

A private club can decide to be single sex. Or an association.

This was how Bristol SU Feminist Group was able to be women only.

lets stop worrying about men only clubs and wonder why there aren't more women only.

I suspect partly because even though some women would want them to be "inclusive".

I think these ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ (for want of a better expression!) are a bit cringe and anachronistic tbh but I’m in favour of women-only groups and spaces so as far as I’m concerned the men should have equal rights to their own space. I do have possibly slightly unfair ideas about the sort of man who would want to join this sort of club though…

Interesting that it’s the younger members objecting.

I wonder whether it’s effectively no longer a pivotal place to meet people, make connections and so on. I entirely sympathise with men’s preference for male only spaces, and think they should have them. The issues come from excluding women from opportunities that arise there.

I also don't have a problem with it. Mens sheds would be another example.

Yes, there is the “old men’s club” where business is conducted and women are shut out. It’s a price we have to pay for women to be allowed to have our own spaces.

the best way to fight it isn’t to make it illegal to have men’s clubs, it is to make declining to do business with women financially foolish. So we do the same thing every disenfranchised group does, be smarter and work harder.

Have found this:

Equality Act considerations: private membership organisations are not exempt from anti-discrimination laws. The Equality Act 2010 applies to private members' clubs, prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics such as age, disability, race, or sex. The Act allows private clubs to restrict membership to people who share certain protected characteristics (eg single-sex clubs are permitted); however, it is still unlawful for private clubs to restrict their membership to people who share certain other protected characteristics.

I wonder which protected characterists cant have their own club. Surely pensioner clubs are about age. I am sure there are clubs for people with a similar disability. And aren't their Carribbean clubs?

But, and I know I am repeating myself, I thought too many women have now been Stonewalled, and would think it wouldn't be "kind" to exclude TW from a women only club.

More about highlighting the hypocrisy.

I do not have a problem with it. Love different spaces, amazing. As many men free spaces as possible afaic.

The issue is that men (men identifying as women) are now allowed in women’s spaces.

Perhaps a tester would be a woman identifying as a man, and trying to join. They’d have to let her (‘him’) in, wouldn’t they?

I agree with PP that men should have their own social clubs and spaces if they wish - and that the issue is more that these clubs should be used for making professional/hiring/etc decisions in a way that deliberately excludes women.

I also wonder what the implications of the FWS decisions will be for these men's clubs. If lesbians must admit transwomen with GRCs to their clubs - presuming the SC finds in favour of the Scottish Government, (which obviously I hope it doesn't) - then these men's clubs would also be unable to refuse membership to transmen with GRCs...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/18/womens-institute-to-continue-to-celebrate-transgender-women-amid-inclusivity-row

What a celebration

It’s a bit like the WI having no men, it’s a woman’s club so I can’t see the issue. That’s a gentleman’s club so let them carry on too

There is a difference between private spaces (women's changing rooms) and public spaces (golf club). I'd say women would be entitled to campaign to use the facilities of the local golf club but I'm OK about single sex members clubs. In return women should be allowed to do the same.

WI allow men

Only 'special' men.

@Viviennemary - WI is not women only, they allow transwomen, in their words 'anyone living as a woman'.

I agree with other posters men and women should be able to have single sex spaces .

Except they do have men. Men who like to pretend they're women.

No, they allow trans women.

This thread is going off tangent somewhat, no?

Is this about whether men / women should have their own spaces or is it about having an issue with the trans community (who identify as women) in women’s spaces?

They're two different subjects.

If you are a man who is a man you can attend special events put on by the WI but you cannot join. If you identify as a woman you have to be allowed to join ( from my mum , an actual woman, who is President of her WI branch) even if you are clearly a bloke

Both sexes should have sex only spaces, clubs, sports, if they want

However currently biological men seem to have access to any space they want with a piece of paper or because they say so, to little publicity of the unfairness on women.

I wonder what would happen if transmen try and join various men only clubs, I think there would be massive pushback and wouldn't be allowed. Especially with the 'old school'.

It's depressing that the potential of threatening a male only space will be the catalyst to enforcing same sex only clubs, maybe. In fact didn't this happen with a swimming pond in London or am I way off?