GC: What are the differences between sex segregation and racial segregation? Why is the former required, while the latter is discriminatory?

submitted by Tea_Or_Coffee from self.GCdebatesQT

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]HelloMomo 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

In middle school gym, I remember thinking about the topic of lesbians in the changing room, and being vaguely uncomfortable with the idea. I never said anything about it, because I had no better plan of how to reorganize things (where were the lesbians supposed to go, then?). But I do get that idea.

(Plot twist, turns out lesbians in the changing rooms were me + 2 of my closest friends at the time.)

But I was a middle schooler then. I thought that the idea of sex-segregated changing rooms was to protect people from lustful eyes, because that's sort of the friendly, down-peddled version of the story. I didn't know that the real reason for sex-segregated rooms is to protect women from literal assault, which is documented to happen much more in co-ed changing rooms. And I didn't know that because I was a kid. No one had ever told me, because they didn't want to scare me.

[–]ZveroboyAlinaIs clownfish a clown or a fish? 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

which is documented to happen much more in co-ed changing rooms.

In UK number of rapes is 9 times bigger in unisex changing rooms and bathrooms than in single-sex ones. If I remember correctly number of sexual harassment is around 18-20 times bigger there as well.

This means that removing single-sex spaces or making them "all genders" will increase risks for women by 9 and up to by 20 times.

[–]MarkTwainiac 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

In middle school gym, I remember thinking about the topic of lesbians in the changing room, and being vaguely uncomfortable with the idea. I never said anything about it, because I had no better plan of how to reorganize things (where were the lesbians supposed to go, then?). But I do get that idea.

(Plot twist, turns out lesbians in the changing rooms were me + 2 of my closest friends at the time.)

This reminded me of a friend of mine in middle school who, unbeknownst to anyone else, was struggling with the same kinds of feelings & thoughts you had as a kid. She dealt with her internal discomfort by accusing one of her female classmates of being a lesbian and making sexual advances on her. She carried out a really vicious campaign against the other girl, making up wild stories about all the "perverted" things the girl had tried to do to her, which included trying to diddle her with a stuffed animal and attempting to rape her with the handle of a hairbrush whilst she was on a sleepover at the girl's house. The girl she accused was me!

Which just goes to show that homophobic prejudice and bullying are equal opportunity, all-purpose kinds of animus and abuse that often are directed at people who are not homosexual themselves, and that some people who engage in homophobic abuse of others are gay, lesbian or bi themselves.

Also, I know what my friend was going through internally back in middle school because about 35 years later we came into contact again by happenstance, and she told me all about it.