Harvard gym restriction stirs controversy

[bjorkfan]

To accommodate Muslim women, university sets aside ‘no men’ time

By Bob Considine

Harvard University’s trial policy of denying men use of one of its gyms for six hours a week to accommodate Muslim women has been an exercise in frustration for some students and off-campus critics.

Since Feb. 4, the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center at the Ivy League school has been open only to women from 8-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 3-5 p.m. on Mondays — allowing Muslim women, who typically cover their hair and most of their skin to follow religious and cultural code, to dress more suitably for exercising.

Hussein Ibish, executive director of the Foundation for Arab-American Leadership, said complaints that the policy is unfair are unfounded.....

more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556551/

[bluestateguy]

1. Half of college students just go to the gym to ogle the meat from the opposite (or the same) sex

And that goes for both men and women. I've seen it with my own eyes.

[selador]

2. heck

i'd extend that to half of gymgoers of all ages.

frankly, i think it's a perk of going to the gym - getting to see attractive fit women.

i think that if harvard is going to have women's only hours, they should have equivalent men's only hours. that's the only remotely fair way of going about this.

[Recursion]

3. Are men asking for that?

If there were a group of men saying they wanted that, it would be up for consideration. Since there's not, I don't see how adding that makes an already difficult situation any more "fair".

[selador]

5. and i disagree

men are banned during women's only hours, but women have access during all hours.

that is by definition, unfair treatment based on gender.

period.

that males haven't *yet, as far as i know* played the squeaky wheel i;m a victim card, is irrelevant.

students pay EQUALLY for the gym (in their student services fees), but women get greater access hours.

basic gender discrimination, any way you slight it.
this was brought up before in another thread btw. GREAT discussion of the legal issues involved in this case at www.volokh.com

nice to know that at harvard, all students are created equal. some, otoh, are MORE equal than others.

[Recursion]

6. Call the damn whaaambulance

Sorry, as somebody just south of the Charles from those stuck up a-holes I don't feel much sympathy :)

[selador]

7. well

if you can still drink beers at the rathskeller, and watch games at fenway, all is good.

[bjorkfan]

8. Religious or not, if men asked for that they would be denounced as sexist.

[AX10]

4. Adapt already!